Fallen
by crazyundeadfairy
Summary: A different string of events brings about Anakin's fall. Contains ObiWanAnakin slash.
1. Part I

"Obi-Wan... May the Force be with you."

"Goodbye, old friend. May the Force be with you."

That was all. Such a simple exchange. One that they'd parted with countless times in the thirteen years they'd known each other. It had gotten to the point where it was instinctual, words that slipped out without thought. The words had been a novelty when he was nine and able to say them for the first time as a padawan. A Jedi Knight now, Anakin wished that he had said something more profound that one time. Instead he had simply watched Obi-Wan walk down the ramp towards his starfighter, not knowing it would be the last time they would meet.

Originally, Anakin's frustration had been directed at the Jedi Council for not sending him after General Grievous. Of all the Jedi, he believed himself to be the strongest, the most able. He could not imagine how he would have had any difficulty defeating the durasteel monstrosity. Anakin was now enraged at them for sending Obi-Wan to Utapau alone. That decision had led to Obi-Wan's death. Even knowing how well the two men worked together, they had been split up. That they were the most effective team was not a fiction made up by the HoloNet. Anakin and Obi-Wan. Kenobi and Skywalker. The Negotiator and the Hero With No Fear. There had been a reason they were always sent on missions together, even after Anakin had been granted his knighthood. Each of those reasons had been ignored in favour of Anakin's staying behind to spy on the Supreme Chancellor.

It was pure and utter madness. After all of the horrors that Obi-Wan had survived during the war, he was killed just when it was almost over. Because Anakin hadn't been with him.

"It is most unfortunate," Palpatine sighed as he crossed over to where Anakin was kneeling on the floor. The young Jedi Knight had fallen to his knees the instant he had seen the recording, unable to banish the image from his mind. Over and again in his mind he could only see Obi-Wan receiving a blaster bolt to the chest and falling down into a deep, water-filled crater. "That your dear friend should be betrayed in such a way..."

"Do not speak of Obi-Wan as though you knew him," Anakin growled, rising finally to his feet. "Not to me who knew him best."

There was something in Palpatine's eyes that didn't sit well with Anakin. A darkness that hadn't been there before. For the briefest of seconds the colour of Palpatine's eyes appeared to shift, perhaps a mere trick of the lighting as the sun set on the distant horizon. It was equally possible, though, that it had been a real phenomenon. However, it was gone so fast that Anakin couldn't be certain of what he saw.

"I assure you, Anakin, that I did not mean to offend," Palpatine was quick to apologize. "Unfortunate, however, that the Council chose to send Master Kenobi after Grievous alone when you would have certainly been a better choice."

"The Council did what they thought was best," Anakin forced out, not having the energy to defend the Jedi Council to Palpatine.

Less than an hour before Obi-Wan had been fine. He had been alive. Anakin had witnessed the transmission from Utapau himself. Obi-Wan had General Grievous and the two had just engaged. Inconceivably, during the time between Master Windu ordering him to inform the Chancellor of these events and his arrival at Palpatine's office, Obi-Wan had been killed. Obi-Wan was an excellent swordsman, however, against a being wielding four lightsabers his talents had been pushed to their limits. And all that it had taken to bring him down was a stray blaster bolt. That someone so powerful, someone that Anakin loved so dearly, could be killed with such ease fueled Anakin's rage. It coiled tightly in the pit of his stomach begging to be released so that Obi-Wan could be avenged.

"It is a shame that the Council is so set on denying my opinions as out of hand," Palpatine said absently. "Had you been allowed to accompany your former master you could have snatched him from death. Instead the Council kept you behind to spy upon me. It hardly seems worth poor General Kenobi's life."

Clenching prosthetic hand into a tight fist, Anakin listened to the sound of the small gears grinding against each other. "The Council did what they thought was best."

"Even so, the Council holds you back. I can see this even if you cannot," Palpatine insisted as he came over to where Anakin sat slumped upon the floor. "They know that you could easily access powers far greater than their own and for that they fear you."

Still on the ground, Anakin tilted his head back so that he could look up at Palpatine's face. He attempted a glare at the much older man, but all expression dropped from his features as he noticed something behind the Chancellor's shoulder. Bolting to his feet, Anakin stalked towards the window wall that looked out over Coruscant. On the side of a large building across the way there was a silent HoloNet broadcast being shown.

Once again Anakin dropped to his knees as he witnessed his beloved master's death in large, vivid colour.

The HoloNet feed offered more details than the small hologram had. There had been a look of such concentration on Obi-Wan's face, his lips held in a tight line and his eyebrows furrowed slightly. A glancing blow he received to his left shoulder. The one he offered in return. The few longer strands of hair falling into his eyes. The light flaring as his nostrils when one of his attacks was blocked. And that look of utter shock when he was hit by a blaster bolt from a higher trajectory.

"Vile Sith-spawn reporters," Anakin growled, slamming the palm of his mechanical hand against the glass. "How could they get footage like that so soon? Or at all?"

"They are a unique breed," Palpatine confirmed, coming to stand next to Anakin.

Anakin watched as twice more Obi-Wan's death was displayed on the HoloNet bulletin. It was intercut with clips of the two of them on other missions. At the end, underneath a still frame of them laughing at some comment Anakin couldn't remember, was the caption, "Why were they separated?"

"Why indeed?" Palpatine murmured, turning away from the window.

Anakin remained where he was, only dropping back to sit on his heels, keeping his gaze on the image until it faded away. "I know there are things about the Force the Council isn't telling me."

"They see your future," the Chancellor said, his chair creaking slightly as he sat down. "They know your power will be too strong to control. I have sources that tell me they were displeased with Master Kenobi's refusal to keep your power in check."

"They would never do that!" Anakin shouted, rising to his feet as he whirled around on Palpatine. "They wouldn't kill Obi-Wan!"

"Yet the Council senses, as do many others, that there is more that lies between you than mere friendship. Master Kenobi himself once nearly succumbed to the Dark Side of the Force. It is likely they feared to loose one or both of you to the Dark Side if you were left unchecked."

"That is no reason to kill Obi-Wan."

Palpatine sighed deeply, linking his fingers together over his stomach. "Even now you cannot see through the fog of lies the Jedi have created around you. Let me help you know subtletiesties of the Force."

Anakin furrowed his brows. "How do you know the ways of the Force?"

Nothing had seemed real since he'd entered Palpatine's office. Anakin had tried reaching out through the Force to feel Obi-Wan and each time had found nothing. Where he been able to sense Obi-Wan for the past thirteen years there was only silence. It left Anakin feeling hollow. Obi-Wan had been the one constant thing in his life, a title even his wife could not hold claim to. Without Obi-Wan, Anakin felt lost. Completely adrift.

"Anakin, if one is to understand a great mystery, one must study all its aspects, not just the dogmatic, narrow view of the Jedi. If you wish to become a complete and wise leader, you must embrace a larger view of the Force. Do not be so quick to dismiss the Dark Side. Let me train you."

Anakin tensed, uncertain.

"Only through me can you achieve a power greater than any Jedi," Palpatine continued earnestly, rising from his seat to join Anakin in centerntre of the office. "Learn to know the Dark Side of the Force, Anakin, and you will be able to save your wife from certain death... As you could not save your lover."

Anakin turned his head sharply towards Palpatine. "What did you say?"

"Use my knowledge, I beg you."

All at once everything clicked into place and Anakin took a step back, igniting his lightsaber. "You're the Sith Lord!"

He didn't hear anything that tumbled past Palpatine's lips then, his mind too consumed by chaos. Obi-Wan telling him what he'd learned on Geonosis all those years ago, his murder of Dooku, Grievous... All along it had been Palpatine holding Grievous' leash and it was that durasteel monstrosity that had just killed Obi-Wan.

"It's your fault that Obi-Wan's dead," Anakin ground out, tears stinging his eyes.

Palpatine appeared instantly contrite. "Oh no, my dear boy, never. I would never hurt someone so close to you. No, Grievous was never supposed to kill Master Kenobi. Master Kenobi wasn't even supposed to be there."

"So it was me you meant to kill?"

"Anakin, my dear boy, I--"

"Stop calling me that!" Anakin shouted, jerking his lightsaber so that the tip was just under the politician's jaw. "How can I believe anything you say when you're the one who took Obi-Wan from me?"

"I am your friend, Anakin. I have always been your friend," Palpatine insisted, keeping completely still as Anakin refused to lower his blade.

Anakin deactivated his lightsaber, lowering it to his side. "I'm going to turn you over to the Jedi Council and let them decide what to do with you."

"Do you really trust the intentions of the Council?"

"More than I trust you," Anakin hissed, turning his back on Palpatine and stalking towards the door.

When he reached the door he heard Palpatine's voice once again. "The power of the Dark Side can save Padmé. Do not let her die as Obi-Wan did."

Anakin blocked out the words as best as he was able. Anakin didn't want to believe that Palpatine was capable of such an act. The Chancellor had been his friend since he had first come to Coruscant, always wiling to offer praise or act as a confessor for Anakin to unburden himself to. Never once had he thought that Palpatine would betray him.

As he navigated his way across the cityscape back towards the Jedi Temple, Anakin's mind drifted. It still did not seem entirely real that Obi-Wan could be dead. Anakin wasn't certain that it ever would. He could still feel Obi-Wan's touch upon his skin and the pleasant ache that accompanied their lovemaking.

**insert flashback sex scene**

Anakin swiped at the few tears that dripped past his lashes, scowling at his weakness. Palpatine had betrayed him. He had caused Obi-Wan's death and needed to suffer the consequences. Anakin meant to bring hell down upon his head to pay him back for taking Obi-Wan from him.


	2. Part II

**A/N: **The full version of this story can be found on my website. Read as: the things that had to be edited out as the last chapter.

* * *

Finding Master Windu proved to be an easy enough task. Master Windu, along with Masters Agen Kolar, Saesee Tiin, and Kit Fisto, had gathered in the Council Room. They seemed unsurprised to see him, leading Anakin to suspect that a Council meeting had been called in the wake of Obi-Wan's death. Only a few hours before, Obi-Wan's mission to Utapau had been their hope for ending the war. Its failure was a blow on many levels.

"So you've heard of Obi-Wan's death then," Master Windu stated as Anakin strode into the center of the Council room. "It is unfortunate that we had to lose a man of his abilities."

The casual way he spoke threatened to set fire to Anakin's age anew. Instead he clamped down on it, repeating to himself over and again, "There is no death, there is only the Force." And while it explained their lack of grief over Obi-Wan's death, to Anakin it was a hollow belief. Whether Obi-Wan was one with the Force or not, he was still lost to Anakin.

"Chancellor Palpatine set it all in motion. He is the Sith lord," Anakin announced, bowing his head.

"A Sith lord?" Master Windu echoed, granting Anakin his full attention. "You're certain?"

Squeezing his eyes shut tight, Anakin nodded his head. "Palpatine as much as told me when he offered to continue my training now that Obi-Wan is dead."

"Then our worst fears have been realized," Master Tiin murmured, shock suffusing his voice.

"We must move quickly if the Jedi Order is to survive," Master Windu added, ever a beacon of determination. "He will be arrested and made to pay for his crimes against the Republic."

"And for killing Obi-Wan."

Master Windu shook his head immediately, already moving towards the doorway. "The death of a single Jedi matters in the scope of larger events."

Anakin could only watch in shocked silence as the four Jedi masters left the Council room. Obi-Wan was one of them, a Jedi Master in his own right, and his sacrifice should have meant something to them. Obi-Wan who had given up so much for the Order in the past. Anakin could still vividly recall the mess that was their mission to Jabiim. How wasted Obi-Wan had been when he'd finally be returned to him. So many other times during the Force-forsaken war Obi-Wan had nearly been killed and yet after each narrow escape was ready to tread back into the thick of things. Even in death Obi-Wan had aided in their cause.

Anakin could still remember the first time he'd realized that his master was mortal. He'd been twelve and Obi-Wan had been sent off as part of a delegation to bring end to a rebellion on a distant planet beyond the Outer Rim. Obi-Wan had been one of only two Jedi to return from the mission. Anakin had been in the hanger when the transport had arrived. He wasn't supposed to have been there so he'd hidden himself behind some transport crates. Anakin had had every intention of staying hidden until he'd actually seen Obi-Wan.

_"Master!" Anakin shouted as he burst from his hiding spot. He sprinted across the hanger, throwing his arms around his master's waist and hugging him tightly. "Master, you're all right. No one would tell me anything."_

_His master's fingers sunk into his hair, hugging him one-handed. "Easy, my young padawan, or you're likely to squeeze me in half." He paused briefly, chuckling quietly. "I'm fairly certain you've grown taller in my absence."_

_Anakin pressed his face into his master's chest, trying to stop the tears he could feel prickling against the backs of his eyes. Jedi didn't cry. The Jedi were supposed to be calm and serene, not sobbing into their master's tunics. If he were honest with himself, though, at that moment Anakin didn't care about being a Jedi. All that he cared about was that his master had returned to him while several other padawans were now masterless. They no longer had the warm, comforting hum of their training bonds to envelop them. Anakin didn't feel guilty for enjoying his master's presence. That would come later, while he sat at his master's beside, watching over him as he rested in a deep healing sleep._

Before that failed mission, Anakin had always believed that Obi-Wan was invincible. After all, it was Obi-Wan who'd destroyed the Sith who'd killed Master Qui-Gon. He'd still been a padawan at the time, but Obi-Wan's mastery of the Force had kept him alive. It was something Anakin had always believed would be true. There had been a time, when he himself was still a padawan, that Anakin had thought that Obi-Wan put himself in dangerous situation on purpose, knowing that he could easily save himself, but wanting to test Anakin.

It was their fight with Dooku on Geonosis that had changed that. That duel had not been play-acting on Obi-Wan's part to teach him a lesson. Obi-Wan's injuries had been real, as had his brush with death. It had taken every bit of strength he'd still possessed, but Anakin had thrown himself between Obi-Wan and Dooku. He'd been determined not to lose his master so soon after his mother's death.

Though he had lost most of his right arm that day, it was Obi-Wan who'd been the more severely injured. Dooku's red-bladed lightsaber had cut through muscles, nerves and bone, creating a jagged tear in Obi-Wan's arm and leg that had required great skill to heal without any loss of mobility. The scars they had received had lasted to that day.

While they had been recovering together in the healer's wing of the Temple on Coruscant, Anakin had finally been allowed to know the man and not simply the Jedi that his master was. As they were both confined to the same room, it had been impossible for Obi-Wan to maintain his stoic demeanor throughout. Especially when the medical droids constantly insisted on probing the wounds to rate their healing. Anakin could think of few smugglers knowledgeable of such foul language as Obi-Wan. It had been all Anakin could do to keep from laughing at some of the particular curses. Obi-Wan had also distracted him with stories of his misspent youth while the droids had prepared the stump that was Anakin's right arm for the prosthetic. Anakin would have never expected his master capable of "borrowing" Master Yoda's lightsaber after he'd lost his own.

And when it had been time for him to escourt Padmé back to Naboo, Anakin had been reluctant to part with his master. Obi-Wan had still been planet-bound by order of the chief physicians and had been unable to accompany them. In all the days since, Anakin had always regretted that Obi-Wan hadn't gone to Naboo as well. He might not have allowed Padmé to talk him into marriage. It wasn't that Anakin didn't lover her, he did. He loved her with a little boy's infatuation and a teenager's lustful fantasies. And at that very moment he loved her as the mother of his unborn child.

Obi-Wan, however, was closer to him than any other being in the entire galaxy. Obi-Wan was the other half of himself and now that he was dead Anakin felt completely lost. He didn't know what he was going t do now that Obi-Wan was no longer there with him.

_"You are the son I could never have, the brother I cannot remember. The lover I entrust my heart to, the friend who protects my body and the partner who guards my life. All this and more you are to me, Anakin. All this and more."_

Obi-Wan had whispered those words to him the night he'd been granted his knighthood. They'd laid tangled together on Obi-Wan's bed, their skin glowing as the moonlight shimmered against the sweat that covered their bodies. Obi-Wan had been so proud of him that day. Anakin could never remember him smiling so much. It was Obi-Wan who'd cut the padawan braid from behind Anakin's right ear, setting it inside a simple wooden box that already held Obi-Wan's own. The box and its contents had a place of honour on the mantle of their shared suite. And at the moment that slender, copper-coloured braid was all that remained of the man he loved.

Rising to his feet, Anakin stalked towards the door. Palpatine had taken Obi-Wan from him and he needed to ensure that the man paid for his crimes. The Jedi would do nothing. Obi-Wan's death meant nothing to them. He was just another sacrifice in their question to destroy the Sith and that wasn't good enough for Anakin. Palpatine, Grievous and all of the other Separatist leaders would die before his anger was appeased. Anyone who prevented him from achieving his goals would meet the same fate.

Anakin's anger was only increased as he sped across the city to Palpatine's office below the Senate building. On the sides of countless buildings were vidscreens displaying footage of Obi-Wan's death. It was the same image over and again, taunting Anakin with his inability to save the one he loved most.

Then, all of a sudden, the images changed and Anakin nearly lost control of his speeder. The HoloNet reporters had this time focused on General Grievous. The shot then panned back to reveal Obi-Wan lying in a crumpled heap at the cyborg's clawed feet..

"Obi-Wan..." Anakin moaned, his anger turning to sorrow for a brief moment.

He guided his speeder out of the flow of traffic and simply stared at the images being projected. His clothes and hair were saturated with water. Anakin stared intently at his chest, doing his utmost to ignore the burn that covered much of the center of his chest, instead hoping to catch some sight of breath. There was none. Yet still Anakin had difficulty believing it. Obi-Wan was to skilled a fighter to be brought down by something as minor as a stray blaster bolt. Droids and clones could be killed that way, but not Jedi Masters.

"I'm so sorry, Obi-Wan," Anakin whispered to the vidscreen image of his best friend and lover. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to watch your back. To protect you... I'm just so sorry. For everything."

Anakin remained there until the the screens faded to black then guided his speeder back into the traffic lanes, heading straight for the Senate building. He had barely brought his speeder to a halt in one of the hangers before he bolted from it and began sprinting down the corridor towards Palpatine's office. The doorway was open and through it Anakin could hear the sounds of a lightsaber battle. Any doubt Anakin had about Palpatine being the Sith lord were dashed. The Jedi and the Sith were the only ones to use that weapon for it required ability with the Force to be used to any effect. Or so he had thought until Grievous had produced his four lightsabers.

The office was in complete disarray when Anakin burst in. Scattered about were the bodies of the Jedi Masters and Palpatine's red-clad bodyguards. The walls were scorched with blaster bolts and sweeping arches made by lightsabers. And the only two left standing were Master Windu and Palpatine. The two men stood on a ledge which had once held a window. Now only shards remained, wind billowing the robes they were.

"You are under arrest, my lord," Master Windu ground out, his violet lightsaber pointed at the aging Chancellor. "The oppression of the Sith will never return. Your plot to regain control of the Republic is over... You have lost."

Palpatine's smile was a twisted, evil thing. "No, Master Windu, I think not."

Raising his hands, Palpatine released a current of Force energy directly at Master Windu. It never found its target. Master Windu deflected the Force lightning with his lightsaber, redirecting it back towards Palpatine, knocking him back into the window ledge. Undeterred, Palpatine continued, unleashing barrage after barrage of Force lightning at the Jedi Master. And all of it was immediately directed back to Palpatine himself who began to writhe and cry out as a result. Anakin could not find it in him to feel any sympathy for the man.

"Come to your senses, boy!" Palpatine shouted over the crackling of the lightning and the traffic from outside the building. "The Jedi Council cannot be trusted! They will betray you just as they did your former master. Do not forget that it was them who chose to send Master Kenobi to Utapau."

Despite himself, the Chancellor's plea gave Anakin pause.

"You are not one of them, Anakin. Don't let him kill me," Palpatine urged, his eyes turned to Anakin for a brief moment. "I have the power to save the one you love. He is not completely lose to you."

"Don't listen to him, Anakin!" Master Windu cried, risking a quick glance at the young Jedi.

"I can still save him!" Palpatine repeated, his voice desperate. "I can give him back to you!"

Anakin was torn. He knew that he shouldn't believe Palpatine's lies, but they were so very tempting. Palpatine was offering him a way to save Obi-Wan, a pledge he would never receive from the Jedi. The Jedi cared only for their all powerful unifying Force. They cared nothing for love. Or hate, jealousy, anger, joy or any other emotion. Acknowledgment of any emotion, it often seemed, led to the Dark Side. It was a creed that Anakin had never been able to remain true to. Because he did love. And feel anger, jealousy, hate and joy. Anakin felt them all and so much more, but could never release them into the Force as he had been instructed. Over time even Obi-Wan, the most dedicated of Jedi, had given up on denying his emotions.

Cowering on the window ledge, Palpatine's face began to twist and distort. He was dying and Anakin knew it. And with him would go any chance of saving Obi-Wan. Before he could think his actions through fully, Anakin grabbed up his lightsaber and rushed forward. He ignited the blade as he lunged across the final distance, slicing off Master Windu's hand just as the Jedi Master made to strike at Palpatine. Anakin and Master Windu stared at each other, shocked, their fully believing what they had just witnessed.

Palpatine was on his feet then, a smile warping his twisted features. Palpatine struck out again with the Force lightning. It overwhelmed Master Windu, who couldn't react in time. Anakin could only watch in shock as Master Windu was thrown through the shattered window, plummeting twenty stories to his death.

The sound coming from Palpatine then could only be described as evil. A dark cackle that seemed to fill the room. It broke Anakin from his state of shock and he stumbled backwards, his knees colliding with a large object behind him which he fell more than sat on.

"What have I done?" Anakin gasped, staring through the window as he struggled to make sense of what had just happened.

"You are fulfilling your destiny, Anakin," Palpatine was quick to inform him, moving away from the window ledge and towards Anakin. "Become my apprentice. Learn to use the Dark Side of the Force."

Anakin felt sick to his stomach, bile rising up in his throat. He hadn't meant to kill Master Windu, or even to help Palpatine. He'd just wanted them to stop so that he could find out how he was meant to get Obi-Wan back. All that Anakin wanted was for Obi-Wan to still be alive. Anakin wanted Obi-Wan safe and alive and in his arms.

"I possess knowledge that will allow you to cheat death," Palpatine continued, tipping Anakin's head back, forcing their eyes to meet. The kind, genial gaze that Anakin had known so well was gone, replaced by a frightening yellow gaze. "There is still time. Obi-Wan can still be brought back... But only if you join me."

Squeezing his eyes shut, Anakin ripped his face out of Palpatine's grip. He shot to his feet, stumbling slightly. Anakin felt drunk, nothing was making any sense to him. He stood panting, looking everywhere but at the wizened, old man before him. In his mind, he could see only one thing.

Obi-Wan.

Dropping to his knees, Anakin stared up at Palpatine with teary eyes. "I pledge myself to your teachings. To the ways of the Sith."

The words felt like vomit in his mouth, but he said then anyway. Obi-Wan needed him now, Padmé would in a few weeks. He wouldn't lose either of them, not when he could have the power to save them.

"Then rise, Lord Vader," Palpatine instructed, his voice a rasp that only increased the sick feeling in Anakin's gut.

He would endure it, though. In the end he would have everything he wanted.


	3. Part III

Not even in his most vivid nightmares had Anakin ever thought to be leading an army into the Jedi Temple. The Temple was his home. It was where he had always felt the safest, where he had learned many of the lessons that had made him into the man he was. A man who ultimately betrayed every oath he'd ever sworn, save one.

Anakin's vision was clouded with tears as he left behind the body of Master Ti. She had never been anything but kind to him and now he had gifted her with her death for the simple fact that she had been inside the Jedi Temple. His new Master had been adamant that all the Jedi must be killed for they were a threat to the Republic and everything Anakin meant to do. They would tell him that Obi-Wan had become one with the Force and that his fate should not be altered. Those, however, were the beliefs of beings incapable of love.

_"Why do the Jedi deny themselves love?" Anakin demanded of his master as they walked side by side through one of the upper levels of the Temple._

_Even as he groaned at the topic, a smile curved Obi-Wan's lips. "This again? Have we not discussed this enough to satisfy even your endless curiosity, my dear padawan?"_

_"What about that? You say that I am dear to you. Does that not mean you love me?" Anakin pressed, spinning himself about so that he walked backwards directly in front of his master._

_Reaching out, Obi-Wan grabbed hold of Anakin's shoulders, stilling him. "I have known you for ten very long years, Anakin. Yet I can still remember my first sight of you, trudging over a sand dune behind Mater Qui-Gon. I was jealous of you at first, did you know that? My master was utterly infatuated with you and I didn't know what to do about it because I'd never had to deal with something like that before... But then I watched you. I saw how brave you were trying to be, both on the ship and before the Council. How could I be jealous of a little boy whose only dream was to one day be a Jedi? Even then I supposed I cared for you. But loving you? No. That came later."_

Anakin had never leaned exactly when Obi-Wan's affection had turned to love. But he did know that Obi-Wan had loved him. That was something that Anakin would never question. Obi-Wan had made certain that he knew. It had been whispered at first, spoke aloud after a time, and gasped in the aftermath of passion on a panting breath. Whenever possible, Obi-Wan had always assured Anakin that he loved him.

Obi-Wan was unlike other Jedi in that respect. In all other aspects Obi-Wan remained true to the Code. He was everything that Anakin had tried to be. And failed.

"I'm sorry, Master," Anakin whispered as he stalked through the abandoned corridors of the Jedi Temple. "I'm sorry that I could not remain true, but I refuse to lose you."

The Force that swirled around him was a dark and sickly thing. It was like a slime, forcing its way into every part of him. In it he could find no trace of Obi-Wan, not even the barest flicker. Even when separated, Obi-Wan had always been able to offer him comfort, to soothe his mind and heart. All Anakin could find at that moment was ice. Jagged shards tearing into his flesh and producing the tears that filled his eyes.

"How do you wish to proceed with the younglings, sir?"

"I'll handle it alone," Anakin murmured, glancing briefly at the clone trooper beside him. "I know where they'll be."

Separating himself from the army, Anakin moved towards the turbolifts. Like all other Jedi, Anakin knew where the younglings were. All Jedi know that the younglings were to go to the Council room if the Temple was under attack. The Council room was the safest place in the entire Temple. With all of the expansive staircases and turbolift banks, one had to know where they were going in order to reach the Council room atop the Temple's central spire.

Never in his thirteen years as a Jedi had Anakin thought he'd be using that information to his advantage.

_"Would you please stop fidgeting," Obi-Wan chuckled as he and Anakin rode in the turbolift up to the Council room. "You have nothing to be nervous about."_

_"That's easy for you to say. Your trials came and went without you even being aware of it," Anakin burst out, tugging once again on the glove that covered his robotic arm. He hadn't realized the implications of his words until he felt the ripple of pain they caused Obi-Wan. "Fierfek! I'm sorry, master. I didn't even think."_

_Obi-Wan's smile was more forced this time. "I cannot fault your observation. In little more than two standard days I went from being a padawan to a Jedi knight with a padawan of my very own. I was quite terrified of you for the first few weeks, wondering if I'd made the right decision. I had no idea what I was doing."_

_"You faked it rather well then."_

_"Yes well had I known what a reckless pilot you were to become I would have insisted you be apprenticed to Master Tiin," Obi-Wan countered, his smile far more genuine. "He, at least, would have enjoyed your antics."_

_Turning to him fully, Anakin made sure that he had Obi-Wan's full attention before he spoke. "I would not have wanted a different master. Not even Master Qui-Gon."_

_The turbolift came to a stop then so Obi-Wan's hand, which had been reaching towards Anakin, returned to his side. "I wouldn't have spent these last years any differently, either. And I am certain that the Council will allow you to begin your trials." _

That day was no so long ago that Anakin couldn't still remember the pride he had seen in Obi-Wan's eyes when the Council had at last deemed him ready to begin his trials. A day that would never come for the little ones currently hiding in the Temple's highest room.

"Master Anakin," the bravest of them gasped as he emerged from behind one of the chairs. "There are too many of them. What are we going to do?"

One by one all of the other younglings poked their heads out, relieved to see the greatest Jedi of all. Each of them believed that they were safe. Tears in his eyes, Anakin pushed all thoughts of conscience from his mind as he activated his lightsaber.

It had to be done. The Jedi were a treat and had to be purged from the Republic before they could stop him and his new master. The Jedi had always tried so hard to keep him and Obi-Wan apart. They had sent Obi-Wan to his death. Anakin had given them an alternative. He had volunteered to go to Utapau himself once it had been discovered that Grievous was there. Skilled as Obi-Wan was, the fact remained that Anakin was better fighter. He would have been able to defeat Grievous. At the very least they should have sent Anakin with his former master. It had been a great risk on the Council's part to send a single Jedi to face a foe who had already killed several. The Council had distrusted Palpatine's opinion, though, and as a result Obi-Wan was dead. And along with him the rest of the Jedi Order.

Not for the first time Anakin found himself wishing that he had been able to convince Obi-Wan to leave the Order. Granted, he had never been very serious in his attempts, but he had broached the topic more than once. One too many times in the past he had nearly lost Obi-Wan to forces beyond his ability to control. Jabiim had been the worst because on Jabiim Obi-Wan's death had temporarily been a fact and as a padawan Anakin had been unable to do anything substantial about it. More than once he had come close to leaving the Order if only to finally have the ability to search for his master's body. The thought of leaving Obi-Wan to rot in that endless swamp had made Anakin physically ill.

On Jabiim there had been no indisputable proof that Obi-Wan had been killed and for a brief moment Anakin wished that it was true again. To have lost Obi-Wan to an unknown fate was far better than seeing the vivid proof of his death. Because Obi-Wan had come back from Jabiim. True he had been injured and exhausted, but he had still come back.

Stepping out of the turbolift on the main floor of the Temple, Anakin once again felt uneasy at the sight of the bodies littering the cool marble. It sickened him that most of the bodies belonged to padawans and younglings, the bulk of the Jedi out fighting on various planets.

"Sir, all of the Jedi in the Temple have been disposed of," the clone commander announced as he fell in step with Anakin.

Anakin nodded his head, not trusting his voice. He had to get to Padmé. She would help him make sense of everything and simply being close to his child would comfort him. They were his hope, proof that it was possible for him to create something good. It was all that Anakin had to hold onto at the moment as he was floundering in so much darkness.

"Remain here until you are contacted with new orders," Anakin ordered, already moving towards the exit. "I must return to my master."

The clone commander raised a hand in salute and as he did so Anakin caught sight of the communication device attached to his wrist. Palpatine had studiously kept him away from any such long range comlinks. For what reason Anakin hadn't quite reasoned, but he resented it. So Anakin ordered the commander to hand over his long range comlink.

Moving away from the gathering troops, Anakin began trying to hail Commander Cody. He was the only one who was likely to give him a straight answer as to how Obi-Wan had been killed. Anakin also meant to charge the man with returning Obi-Wan's body to Coruscant. If Palpatine's spells were to work, his body needed to be preserved. Needed to be kept safe.

Attaching the comlink to his own wrist, Anakin scanned the frequencies for the leader of Obi-Wan's squadron. There was a flickering as the holographic form took shape from the center of his palm, then suddenly standing there was an all-too familiar image. "Commander Cody?"

"General Skywalker," the commander nodded. "I had thought to hear from you sooner."

"So it's true then," Anakin murmured, sucking his lower lip in between his teeth.

"It is. General Skywalker was killed by a combination of a blaster bolt to the chest and the fall into the sinkhole," Commander Cody explained. "General Grievous is in possession of his lightsaber, but we were able to regain possession of his body at Chancellor Palpatine's orders. He is being returned to Coruscant as we speak."

Anakin felt his entire body slump, relief filling him. Palpatine was keeping his word. He would return Obi-Wan to him and in the end it would all be worth it.

**

* * *

insert a scene of Obi-Wan and Anakin "taking comfort" from each other during the wars. it can be found reinserted on my site.the most important bit of this is scene goes:**

_"I won't leave you. Not if I can help it," Obi-Wan panted, gasping the words against Anakin's cheek._

_Pulling back so that he could see Obi-Wan's eyes, Anakin kissed him tenderly. "I'll hold you to that." _

* * *

Scowling, Anakin swiped at the tears that had escaped his lashes. Anakin knew that Obi-Wan had done all that he could to keep his promise. Obi-Wan was a man of his word, and, more importantly, Obi-Wan loved him. That was something Anakin had never held in doubt. And it was because he loved Obi-Wan just as fiercely that he was willing to destroy the Jedi Order. Once he had assured Obi-Wan's well being, Anakin would track down Grievous and kill him. Then Palpatine would restore order to the Republic. Everything would be as it had been so long ago, before the Trade Federation and the Separatists.

Climbing into his speeder, Anakin leaned into the high-backed seat. He knew that he should return to Palpatine. The Sith lord had much to teach him in the ways of the Dark Side. He had to teach him how to save Obi-Wan and Padmé. That was why he was doing this. He may have lost his mother, but he wouldn't lose either of them.

As he was reaching towards the ignition, Anakin was brought up short. It had been brief, but he was certain that he'd felt it. A slight tug, almost imperceptible, but there nonetheless. He'd felt Obi-Wan.

* * *

In the bowels of one of the Republic star destroyers, the body of Obi-Wan Kenobi lay sprawled on the floor of a detention room. The door to the room opened and in strode one of the Chancellor's red-robed bodyguards. Without a word, the figure knelt next to the still form of the Jedi Master, producing a syringe from within its robes. Positioning the head so that it had better access to the general's throat, the red figure plunged the needle into Obi-Wan's jugular, releasing the purple liquid within.

Obi-Wan's fist clenched momentarily before his body became lax once again. Still as death.


	4. Part IV

Anakin hadn't been able to stop shaking since he'd felt Obi-Wan. It had been only a brief flicker of his Force signature, but it had been real nonetheless. And even though it had lasted for only a second, Anakin had been bombarded with sensations of fear and panic. Something had happened. Something more serious than the HoloNet report was letting on about. At first Anakin had tried to convince himself that it wasn't really Obi-Wan that he'd felt, that it had only been a fanciful part of his mind trying to ease his grief. That he shouldn't have been able to sense Obi-Wan because Obi-Wan was dead. Anakin had felt him, though. He had sensed Obi-Wan for those few brief seconds and that had been enough to convince him that wherever his former master was, he was in danger.

Stretching out through the Force, following the trail of their bond, Anakin tried once again to gain some sense of Obi-Wan. Somehow Obi-Wan was still alive. That meant someone was lying to him. Anakin didn't want to believe that it was Palpatine who had lied to him. Palpatine was his friend and had long known just how important Obi-Wan was to him. But Palpatine had been lying to him for years. It was no secret that the Jedi had been searching for the Sith lord for the past thirteen years. The Chancellor had probably been laughing at him the whole time.

_"You should be resting," Obi-Wan chided as he watched Anakin's approach._

_Anakin wobbled slightly as the ship made an unexpected move, earning him a raised eyebrow from Obi-Wan. "I'll rest once I'm sure you're all right. No one will tell me anything."_

"_I'm in exactly the same state I was when we left Geonosis," Obi-Wan informed him, patting the empty space next to him with his right hand. "Now sit before you topple over."_

"_I'm not going to topple over," Anakin insisted even as he sat down on the bunk. He sat as close to Obi-Wan as he could manage so that they were touching from shoulders to knees._

"_Why are you not with Padmé?"_

_Though he had expected the question on some level, Anakin still jerked slightly. "I've seen Padmé. She's fine and I was worried about you."_

"_It's not your fault what happened," Obi-Wan said, lifting his right hand and awkwardly turning Anakin's face towards him. "And, in case you have forgotten, I have known you long enough to expect that you will deviate from plans when it suits your mood. It is that you let your anger consume you that worries me. I am, however, grateful for the effort you made to save my life. I only wish that it had not cost you your arm."_

_Pursing his lips, Anakin bowed his head._

"_You will not lose your ability to wield a lightsaber," Obi-Wan was quick to assure him, winding his arm around Anakin's shoulders and drawing the younger man against his chest. "The Council employs the best healers and they are very talented when it comes to prosthetics. I'm certain that you'll good as new before the end of the week, ready to irritate me."_

_Anakin snorted, relaxing fully against Obi-Wan for the first time. _

Clutching at the dash, Anakin leaned forward, a scream building up from the pit of his stomach. He released it, his torso moving up in an arch so that so that he was leaning back in the seat, his stomach curved outwards like a bow, when he released it. Long and loud, fading into the traffic of late afternoon Coruscant. His second scream was of Obi-Wan's name.

Launching himself out of the speeder, Anakin stalked back into the Temple. He couldn't go to Palpatine, not yet. Not until he found out just what was going on. Charging past confused clones, Anakin returned to the turbolifts. He wanted to be alone until he could figure out what was going on. What had happened to Obi-Wan. And whoever had harmed his lover would experience the wrath of his newfound powers.

Anakin found his way without conscious thought, knowing the path even in his distracted state. He keyed in the code on the small panel next to the door and slipped inside, locking it behind him. Under no circumstances did he want to be disturbed.

For the first time in hours, Anakin felt calm. Sinking back against the door, Anakin allowed the calming aura of the room soothe him. His eyes slid shut and he slid down to the floor, sobbing into his drawn-up knees.

_Anakin relaxed between Obi-Wan sprawled legs. Obi-Wan was going through a report on the progress of the war in the Inner Rim planets while Anakin simply relaxed, enjoying the feeling of Obi-Wan's free hand stroking his bare stomach. It had been months since they'd had an actual bed to sleep in, but Anakin didn't mind much. The camp cot was comfortable enough, especially when he slept tangled together with Obi-Wan. This time they didn't even have a cot, just a pair of bedrolls spread out in a small alcove set near the back of a cave._

_It made the war bearable to have a reason to keep fighting so close._

"_The Republic has regained control of Zeltros," Obi-Wan announced as he set aside the datapad, his right arm moving to join his left which was already resting on Anakin's stomach._

"_Good for the Republic," Anakin yawned as he snuggled deeper into Obi-Wan's embrace. "Did they mention how long we're going to be stuck in this pit?"_

"_Unfortunately, no," Obi-Wan sighed._

_Anakin could hear how exhausted Obi-Wan was and could feel him shifting about uncomfortably behind him. It wasn't the most comfortable position, Anakin would admit, and he felt guilty for forcing Obi-Wan to bear both their weights against the unyielding stone wall._

"_Come on. Lay down," Anakin instructed as he scooted forward and turned around on his knees. "It's getting late and we don't need you creaking and falling apart in the middle of our recon mission tomorrow."_

"_I am getting far too old for this," Obi-Wan groaned, arching his back away from the unyielding wall._

"_You're not old," Anakin snorted, grabbing hold of Obi-Wan forearms and pulling him away from the wall. "Come on, lay down on your stomach. I'm going to help you relax."_

_Obi-Wan began to shake his head even as he allowed Anakin to guide him onto his stomach. "Oh no. No, Anakin. I don't have the energy for that."_

"_This will require absolutely no energy on your part, you have my word," Anakin assured Obi-Wan as he straddled his thighs._

_With his left hand he called the vial that they used when they had the energy to him. Or that they used when Anakin felt like pampering his lover. Warming the oil between his palms, Anakin pushed aside his own arousal and concentrated on soothing his lover's discomfort. And while most of the time he barely registered the difference in their ages, there were other times those sixteen years became obvious. Still, Obi-Wan was hardly a frail old man. He was still younger than Master Qui-Gon had been when Anakin had known him._

_Anakin's fears were momentarily quelled a short while later when he caught sight of Obi-Wan's sleeping face. His master still looked infinitely young as he slept, even with the beard. He could hardly imagine Obi-Wan as growing old or dying. _

Pressing the back of his left hand against his mouth, Anakin screamed. All of his anger, frustration, fear and sorrow came out in that scream. His body curled on itself, the scream giving way to sobs that were powerful enough to shake his entire body. Alone in the quarters they had shared it was the first time that Anakin had to give into his emotions. Events were spiraling so far out of control that Anakin no longer knew what was going on.

He didn't even know if Obi-Wan was dead or alive anymore. He was half-convinced that he had imagined feeling Obi-Wan's presence while climbing into his speeder. The same thing had happened when he'd still been a padawan and he'd believed Obi-Wan dead after the battle on Jabiim. For one brief instant more than a month later he'd been aware of Obi-Wan's presence in the Force and it had led him and Master Ki-Adi Mundi to Riflor in time to save Obi-Wan and Alpha. If what Palpatine was telling him was the truth, though, it wouldn't come to that this time. This time Obi-Wan wouldn't have been tortured by some insane woman. This time he would be brought safely back to Coruscant and Anakin would be able to heal him. And he would be granted his vengeance against those who had tried to take Obi-Wan from him.

Shrugging out of his cloak, Anakin crossed the room to a single shelf that held a variety of artifacts from the thirteen years that he and Obi-Wan had known each other. Jedi were not meant to have possessions, but Obi-Wan had occasionally allowed him to take mementos with him from the various planets they visited. In the center of it was the carved box that held two padawan braids. Anakin raised a trembling hand to touch the lid of the box. He was afraid to actually open it. Anakin knew what it contained, but there was a part of him that feared that Obi-Wan's copper braid would be missing. It was foolish, he told himself, but he still feared it. So he kept the lid closed.

"I'm sorry, Obi-Wan," Anakin murmured, tracing the carvings on the box with his fingertips. "I'm sorry for everything I did and everything that I'm going to do. Master Windu was right about me. He was right not to trust me because in the end I betrayed him and the rest of the Jedi. By now there's probably not another Jedi alive in the galaxy. Palpatine ordered them all killed and I did nothing to stop him. Instead I murdered the younglings. I slaughtered them. Mere children," Anakin's voice broke on that final word, another sob escaping his throat. "I did it so that I could save you. Because I can't bear to be without you. But how am I supposed to be able to look you in the eye when this is all over? I've destroyed everything… but at least you'll still be alive. Even if you never want anything to do with me again."

Sobs shook Anakin's entire body as he collapsed to his knees, his fingers gripping the edge of the box. The door behind him exploded inwards, clone troopers attempting to enter and destroy the lifeform their scanners had sensed within. Anakin didn't even look up. With a wave of his hand he used the Force to slam them into the wall in the corridor. Then, clenching his fist, he crushed their esophagus. The tally of innocent lives he'd taken was already great enough that two more wouldn't matter.

_"Master!" Anakin cried once the blaster fire had died down. "Master, you're alive!"_

_Uncaring of the Jedi Master and the clone trooper that stood nearby, Anakin launched himself into Obi-Wan's arms. He started back immediately when he heard Obi-Wan let out a pained gasp, but Obi-Wan's arms wound around his middle, returning the embrace. Much more carefully, Anakin held Obi-Wan against his chest. He'd been so scared that he'd never see the older man again that Anakin didn't care about the multiple rules of the Jedi Code that he was breaking right before one of the members of its high council. Obi-Wan was alive and he was safe, Anakin not caring about anything else._

_Anakin's relief was short-lived when Obi-Wan collapsed against him. "Master, are you all right? Obi-Wan?"_

"_I will be after a few cycles of sleep," Obi-Wan murmured, clutching at Anakin's hips as he attempted to straighten himself. "Force, but I'm exhausted."_

_Anakin refused to leave Obi-Wan's side, even when they returned to their ship. Obi-Wan was a mass of burns and scratches, his clothes in tatters. He refused to speak of what had happened save that he had been held prisoner by Asajj Ventress who'd meant to present him as a gift to Count Dooku._

"_There is no need to hover so, Anakin," Obi-Wan chided as he wearily removed his belt. "I am well enough. A few hours rest, some clean clothes and a warm meal and I daresay I will be fit enough for battle once again."_

_Anakin swallowed the sudden panic those words filled him with, instead helping Obi-Wan to strip out of his ruined tunic. His fingers ghosted over Obi-Wan's shoulders then down his chest, skirting over the bruises he found there. Anakin's breath hitched as he brushed his palm over the outline of his ribs. Obi-Wan was just so tired and exhausted emotionally and Anakin wished that he'd realized sooner that his master was alive._

_Obi-Wan's hand cupping his cheek had startled him. He was even more surprised when Obi-Wan's other hand lightly stroked across his brow, over his temple then down to cup his jaw. There was such an intent expression in those blue-grey eyes that Anakin hadn't been able to look away. Instead his face had inched closer to Obi-Wan's until they were close enough that the ends of their noses brushed. Turning his head slightly, Anakin increased the contact, nuzzling his nose along the edge of Obi-Wan's beard. He wasn't sure which of them did it, but their lips were lightly brushing, the tip of Obi-Wan's tongue poking out. Anakin had pulled back only far enough so that he could see Obi-Wan's eyes, to know that he didn't protest, before he leaned into the kiss._

_It was rather tentative, almost chaste, and the emotions that it stirred in them were more than Anakin could understand. It felt right, though, so Anakin didn't question it._

_When it ended, Anakin feared that Obi-Wan would try to reason it away. Instead, Obi-Wan merely sighed, leaning his forehead against Anakin's, his eyes closed. Anakin could feel how utterly exhausted Obi-Wan was, so instead of talking, he led the smaller man towards his bunk, helping him down onto it._

"_You should get some rest," Anakin whispered, lightly stroking Obi-Wan's bangs from his forehead. "I'll come back later with something for you to eat."_

_When he turned to leave, Obi-Wan's hand shot out, grabbing hold of his wrist. "There is no need to rush off so. I have been too long without your presence."_

_Lowering himself down next to the bunk, Anakin sat with his back pressed up against the wall and his right hand smoothing through Obi-Wan's rumpled hair. He stayed there for the rest of the night, soothing him when his sleep was troubled, but otherwise just watching over him. _

Sinking back onto his heels, Anakin placed his hands on his knees and levered himself upright. He very carefully lifted the box from its resting place on the shelf, holding it carefully as he walked over to the couch. Anakin slumped onto the couch and set the box down on the low table in front of it before slumping back into the padded surface.

Relaxing his entire body, Anakin continued to stare at the box. He needed to remain calm, to order his thoughts. If he could find a way to center himself he might be able to feel Obi-Wan again and know that he wasn't completely losing his mind. There was nothing, though. No matter how hard he tried to slam through that barrier of nothingness, Anakin couldn't sense Obi-Wan anywhere in the Force. Obi-Wan was truly dead and what had happened before was merely wishful thinking on his part. He'd wanted that comfortable feel of Obi-Wan on the edge of his consciousness to return and so it had. It was an illusion, though. An all too hollow illusion.

Growling in frustration, Anakin heaved himself off the couch, grabbing hold of the box on his way up. Nothing else in the apartment meant enough to him to salvage from the destruction that would before the Jedi Temple while Palpatine created his new empire. Padmé would keep it safe for him, though. She was the only one that he could trust with such an important relic.

Anakin strode quickly through the corridors, glaring at any of the clone troopers who made a move to stop him. He was their general and they didn't have the right to question him or what he was doing.

"No one is to be left alive," Anakin reminded the commander as he climbed once again into his speeder. "The Jedi are to be completely wiped out as ordered by Emperor Palpatine."

"Yes, General."

The sun was beginning its descent below the horizon, painting the sky with reds and oranges. It was a fire that resembled the one that was building inside the Temple. With the exception of the Temple's massive archives, the entire building was to be gutted and all of the Jedi artifacts destroyed.

As he sped across the city to 500 Republica to where Padmé's apartments the HoloNet was broadcasting images of the deaths of all the Jedi Masters who had been fighting throughout the galaxy. People that had been Anakin's family had all been killed because of him. He had killed all of the Jedi as though he had fired the blasters himself.

Anakin couldn't afford to let the guilt of his actions consume him, though. He had to serve Palpatine and learn all that he could from the Sith lord so that he could save both Obi-Wan and Padmé. He could only hope that they would forgive him for what he had done and what he was likely to do in the future. It would be worth it, though, even if they never forgave him. Anakin would gladly give his life so long as those he loved were kept safe.

* * *

Commander Cody couldn't help but feel a slight pang of conscious as he looked through the observation window at his general. General Kenobi had been the first to treat him as anything but a clone, but in the end he had to obey the orders of the Emperor. Had he not known better, Cody would have thought the general truly dead. In the entire half hour that he'd been standing there, General Kenobi hadn't given any sign of life. He wasn't even breathing. Cody knew, though, that the general was still alive. It was why he'd only been ordered to stun the Jedi rather than kill him outright.

As much as he would have liked to help his general, Cody knew that he couldn't go against his orders. He existed only to follow orders. He did what he was ordered and he had been ordered to make sure everyone believed that General Kenobi was dead, most especially General Skywalker.

Out of the corner of his eye, Cody caught sight of the Emperor's red-clad bodyguard stalking down the corridor.

"Don't worry, General, Skywalker will figure it out," Commander Cody murmured before continuing down the corridor and away from the red guard.


	5. Part V

"Ani!" Padmé cried as he docked his speeder at her private landing platform. "Ani, I'm so glad you're all right. I saw the smoke coming from the Temple and I feared the worst."

Holding the box safely in his right hand, Anakin embraced her as soon as she was within reach. He could feel the swell of their child as she pressed herself close to him. Anakin once again reminded himself that it wasn't only Obi-Wan he needed to be concerned about, but Padmé and their child as well. He would not deprive his child of its mother if he could prevent it.

Pulling back, she lifted her hands to frame his face, peering up at him with teary eyes. "Is it true what the HoloNet says? Have Obi-Wan and the rest of the Jedi Masters been killed?"

Squeezing his eyes shut tight against his own tears, Anakin nodded his head. "It's true. The Sith have gained the upper hand and I could very well be the last Jedi in the Republic…. The younglings…."

Anakin stumbled away from his wife's embrace, unwilling to taint her or their child with his actions. Shoving the box into her hands, he immediately bolted to the 'fresher, barely reaching the sink before he vomited up the little he'd eaten that day. He knelt panting, his forehead pressed against the rim of the sink. He had murdered children, some of them as young as three. Yet he knew that he would do it again if it meant saving Obi-Wan's life.

"Ani, are you all right?" Padmé murmured, turning on the faucet and dampening a cloth. Lifting his head, she dabbed at his cheeks and forehead, her eyes fixed on him.

Anakin jerked his head, nodding briefly. "Fine. I'm fine, Padmé."

"You don't need to lie to me, Ani," Padmé chided, wiping the cloth briefly across his lower lip. "I may be pregnant, but I'm not a delicate flower. Obi-Wan just died. He was your best friend and you loved him. You don't have to pretend in front of me. I'm not a Jedi, I won't ban you from showing your emotions."

"If I give into what I'm feeling, I doubt I'll be able to get off this floor," Anakin whispered, scrubbing his hands over his face. "I have to be fine. Until I kill the ones who murdered Obi-Wan I can't be anything other than fine."

Pursing his lips, Anakin sat back on his heels before rising to his full height. He took a deep breath and squared his shoulders. He could not afford to appear weak, not even in front of Padmé. A Sith lord could not be weak, not even one as newly named to the obscure Order as him. As much as he would like to deny it, he was no longer Anakin Skywalker. His new name was Darth Vader, a vile name for a vile persona.

_"You, my young padawan, should be sleeping in the bunk above me," Obi-Wan chided, his voice thick with exhaustion. "It might not be the most comfortable, but it I'll wager it is better than the floor. How long have I been sleeping, anyway?"_

"_Clearly not long enough. You look terrible," he teased, stretching his back to work out the kinks. "How are you feeling?"_

_Obi-Wan was silent for a moment, carefully stretching out his body, feeling for different aches and pains. "Slightly more like myself than when I fell asleep."_

"_I'm glad," Anakin whispered, glancing down at his lap where his hands were fidgeting. "It means that things can be normal again soon…. I don't ever want to have another master or another partner. There's no one else I trust as completely as I do you."_

"_I'm very honoured that you hold me in such high regard," Obi-Wan yawned, his eyelids already blinking heavily. "Perhaps I can use this to my advantage and convince you to listen to me from time to time."_

"_Promise me that you won't die and I won't question your orders ever again," Anakin said quickly, his eyes flitting up to meet Obi-Wan's gaze for a brief moment._

_Sighing, Obi-Wan broke the gaze by lowering his eyelids. "You know that I can't promise you something like that, Anakin. It is something that is beyond my control. I can promise you, though, that I will do everything in my power to always return to you." _

"You need to go to Naboo," Anakin said once he was sure that his voice wouldn't tremble. "Go to the lake district—to that place we stayed when I was protecting you –and stay there till I come for you."

"Ani, what are you—"

"It's not safe here," Anakin interrupted her, reaching forward to cup her cheek. It was odd not to feel the rasp of a beard against his palm, but he forced that thought away. "There's so much going on and I can't risk you or our child being hurt in it all. Not when I've just lost Obi-Wan."

Padmé must have read the anguish in his features because she brought both hands up to frame his cheeks. "Then come with me. If the Jedi are being slaughtered then you're not safe either. The Sith will destroy you just like they did Obi-Wan."

Anakin staggered backwards, out of her reach. "No. No, Padmé, I won't be the one destroyed. Nor will I go into hiding while Obi-Wan's murderer remains unpunished. Grievous and the fool who fired that blaster will die by my hand."

"Anakin," Padmé whispered, her hands fluttering in the air between them. "Anakin, please don't do this. Come with me to Naboo. We can hide there, no one will ever find us. Please, Ani."

"I have to do this. Obi-Wan's my best friend."

"You loved him," Padmé finished sadly.

"I love him," Anakin murmured, nodding his head. "Obi-Wan means more to me than I could ever say and I will do whatever I have to in order to save him."

Sneaking past Padmé, Anakin returned to the common room of the apartment where she had left the box. Picking it up from the table, Anakin slid his left hand over the lid, feeling the different bumps and indentations.

"I need you to guard this box, Padmé," Anakin murmured when he heard her enter the room. "Take it with you to Naboo and kept it safe. This is all that I have left of Obi-Wan."

Anakin held the box out towards her, gripping it tightly to mask the trembling of his hand. She stared at it for several long seconds and for an instant he feared that she wouldn't take it. That she would deny him this when he had already given up so much for her. He had denied everything he'd held faith in since he was a nine year old boy to love her. It was surely not too much to ask that she safeguard his one true possession.

"I will take it only if you promise me that it won't end up being all that I have left of you," Padmé said at last, holding her hands out to accept the box.

Anakin didn't ask how she knew what the box contained, merely handed it over to her after whispering his promise that he would do everything he could to return to her and their child. He could do what he had to do now. And afterwards, even if Padmé never spoke to him again, he would know that she and their child were safe. That he would have done everything he could to save them and Obi-Wan.

Running his fingers over the lid of the box a final time, Anakin turned back to his speeder. Obi-Wan's body was being transported back to Coruscant and Anakin wanted to be there when it arrived. The only reason he hadn't insisted on being the one to bring it back from Utapau was because he trusted Cody. The clone might not have been able to save Obi-Wan's life, but he would make sure that his body was brought back safely.

* * *

Cody could not stop the tremor that shook his body as he once again looked through the door's observation window. It was not that the red-cloaked guard had caused the vulnerable Jedi further harm, but that he was still so unearthly silent. Even when he was meditating, General Kenobi was still very much alive, if a little distant. The general hadn't even been placed in a comfortable position should he rouse from whatever stupor he was in. He was sprawled in an ungainly heap, his cloak tangled about his limbs. Cody would have remedied the situation only he hadn't been granted the access codes to get into the detention room. Only the Chancellor's guards had those codes.

It was still many hours before they would arrive on Coruscant and even longer, he feared, before General Skywalker would learn of his friend's fate. What would happen in between only the Chancellor knew. General Skywalker could very well already be the Chancellor's prisoner, the two Jedi meant to be part of a spectacle that would truly signal the end of the Republic and the beginning of the Chancellor's Empire.

_

* * *

Anakin awoke from a slight doze, surprised to find himself lying on a comfortable surface. Even more surprising was the warm body resting against his left side. He was about to murmur Padmé's name when instinct forced him to halt with her name still on his lips. Because it wasn't Padmé that was lying next to him. Still feigning sleep, Anakin rolled onto his side, peeking at the bunk's other occupant under his eyelashes as he lazily flopped an arm over his bedmate's stomach. The action would have been expected if he'd truly been asleep, but also offered him comfort since it was no longer the will of his imagination that created the sight._

"_I know that you're awake, Anakin," Obi-Wan grumbled, his eyes still shut. "And if you insist on fantasizing about Padmé, I would appreciate if you'd keep me out of it."_

_Instantly contrite, Anakin ducked his head down. He didn't, however, remove his arm from Obi-Wan's middle. "How did I end up in the bed?"_

"_You were such a pathetic sight curled up beside my bunk that I took pity on you," Obi-Wan revealed, grin evident in his voice._

"_Thank you, Master."_

_Obi-Wan was silent for a moment then his left hand rose to rest overtop of Anakin's right one. "I take it that you haven't been sleeping well in my absence. You didn't even stir as I lifted you up and it was hardly a graceful maneuver. Was it nightmares again?"_

_Anakin shuddered, fumbling his right hand so that he was able to grip Obi-Wan's fingers with his unfeeling mechno-hand. It didn't surprise him that Obi-Wan was able to sense the emotions whirling in him and he was instantly comforted when Obi-Wan's free hand wrapped itself around his shoulders. He snuggled deeper against Obi-Wan's side, relaxing bonelessly against him. Anakin was relieved when Obi-Wan didn't attempt to push him away and insist that the Code forbid such intimacies as he had so many times in the past. Instead, Obi-Wan seemed to be receiving the same comfort from the embrace._

_So relaxed, Anakin didn't even notice when he drifted back to sleep._

As Anakin had hoped, that memory helped to calm his mind before he climbed out of his speeder after his return to the Senate building. He needed to find out how soon it would be before Obi-Wan was returned to him, safe and alive. Palpatine would discover just how foolish it was to promise things he couldn't deliver on. Especially not when it concerned Obi-Wan. Palpatine should have known him well enough to be aware of how important Obi-Wan was to him after thirteen years.

"Lord Sidious is expecting you," one of Palpatine's Royal Guards said as Anakin approached the office.

"Good," Anakin growled, not pausing as he stalked past the red-cowled bodyguard.

That he was expected meant that there was likely some news about Obi-Wan. It was still far too soon for the survivors of the battle on Utapau, but there could have been some communication between the battle cruiser and Coruscant.

Yet the closer he got to Palpatine's office, the more Anakin's rage increased. As much as he wanted to remain calm, Anakin blamed Palpatine for Obi-Wan's death. Things had become increasingly out of control after Palpatine had named him his representative to the Jedi Council. Whatever trust the Masters had had in Senate had been completely obliterated once a spy had been placed in their midst. Even Obi-Wan had been wary of his new appointment, though not for the same reasons as the rest of the Council. Obi-Wan had been worried about him when it was his own well being he should have been more concerned about. And it was because of his friendship with Palpatine that he had been ordered to stay behind while his former Master went off to confront General Grievous.

"I hear that you lost your temper while on your mission to the Jedi Temple, my young apprentice," Palpatine said as soon as he entered the office. It had only been a few hours since a battle had taken place in that very room, but it was already immaculate; the plasteel window repaired, broken furniture replaced and all of the undamaged artifacts back in their proper place.

"The clones desecrated an area they had no business in," Anakin replied, crossing his arms over his chest. The gesture was far less menacing without his Jedi robes, but it had been destroyed when the clone troopers had blown up the door and he hadn't thought to replace it with another from his and Obi-Wan's rooms. "It was a rash act, but I do not repent it."

"Nor should you, Lord Vader," Palpatine drawled as he crossed the room to stand in front of Anakin. "The clones are nothing but tools to be wielded and discarded when they no longer serve their purpose."

Though he disagreed with the statement, Anakin made no comment on it. While the rest of the Senate and even a good portion of the Jedi still thought of the clones as just that—clones. Anakin knew different, though. They were individuals who just happened to look identical. Cody and Alpha were two that Anakin held in the highest regard. They'd both made sure that Obi-Wan came back safely to him when they were separated either by orders or happenstance.

"What's happening with Obi-Wan?" Anakin demanded of his new master. "How long before I can see him again?"

"You must be patient, my apprentice," Palpatine chided, scowling briefly in Anakin's direction. "It will take some time for the cruiser to reach Coruscant and even then it will be some time before General Kenobi can be healed."

"But he's dead!" Anakin shouted, flinging his arms out wide. "His body is rotting with every second that passes and the longer we wait the more damage that will be done!"

Palpatine looked more annoyed than anything following Anakin's outburst. "You worry too much, my dear boy. General Kenobi has been placed in stasis. There will be no change to his physiology by the time he is returned to you."

Scowling, Anakin began to pace. He wanted Obi-Wan to be with him now, where he was safe. It would just take a little bit longer. Very soon everything could be okay. Obi-Wan would be alive and Anakin could put this entire mess behind him. He could denounce his allegiance to the Sith and help to fix what he had broken. Then he and Obi-Wan could rebuild the Jedi Order.

"You seem distracted, my young apprentice," Palpatine mused, returning once again to his desk. "You need something to focus your energies on. I have a mission for you, one that should keep you occupied while your former master is being prepared."

The way Palpatine spoke made Anakin uneasy as though there was a slime that coated the words. Neither did he like the plans Palpatine had for him. He had been ordered to go to Mustafar and kill the Separatist leaders hiding there. Even after they'd commandeered Nute Gunray's mechno-chair and the holotransceiver it contained, the Jedi hadn't had such a clear chance of ending the war. With all Separatist leaders destroyed there would no longer be a need for the war. The fighting would be ended and the lives of so many clones would be saved. Cody and Alpha would be safe and so would Obi-Wan.

"Your starfighter has been given a maintenance check and is ready for you to leave immediately," Palpatine concluded, his twisted features looking entirely too smug. "Your artoo unit is in the hanger waiting for you."

Taking the cue to leave, Anakin turned on his heel and exited the office. He could easily get in touch with Cody via his ship's comlink. He could keep track of the other ship's progress to Coruscant and make sure that Obi-Wan was kept safe.

_Anakin entered their quarters, expecting to see Obi-Wan lying on the sofa. Obi-Wan had promised that he would stay on the sofa and rest while he went to get them something to eat as their own kitchen was severely low on supplies. Hurrying through the common room, Anakin set the containers down on the low table in front of the sofa, continuing past it to Obi-Wan's bedroom._

"_Master!" Anakin shouted as he palmed open the door. "Obi-Wan!"_

_The bed was empty as was the rest of the room. Now that he was in the room, Anakin could hear the water running in the 'fresher. Anakin burst into the room, his eyes instantly locking on Obi-Wan's hazy image through the steam-fogged door of the shower. Not thinking, Anakin rushed across the small space, throwing open the door._

"_Anakin!" Obi-Wan cried, spinning about and nearly losing his balance. He cupped his hands over his groin, attempting to glare at the younger man. "Is there any specific reason you chose to interrupt my shower?"_

"_You said that you were going to stay on the sofa," Anakin mumbled, scrubbing a hand over his forehead and glancing away. "I got worried."_

"_And as you can see, I was quite all right for all that you're letting cold air in," Obi-Wan smirked, arching an eyebrow. "Now if you'd be so kind…."_

"_I'll just, um… I'll go make sure our dinner stays warm," Anakin stammered, shutting the door so that Obi-Wan could continue his shower._

_Anakin felt his cheeks flush when Obi-Wan emerged into the common room a short while later, dressed in leggings and a loose tunic. He'd heard the water shut off a short while later and retrieved their dinner from the kitchen along with two glasses jawa juice._

"_I'm hungry enough to eat a bantha," Obi-Wan groaned as he slumped down onto the sofa beside Anakin. He glanced at the two meals set on the table, a smile curving his lips. "You went to see Dex."_

"_I figured that a return from the dead warranted your favourite meal," Anakin whispered, ducking his head slightly. "This is it, right? Dex told me it was so if he was lying…."_

"_It is," Obi-Wan confirmed, his smile broadening. "Thank you, Anakin."_

_Anakin returned the smile. "You're welcome, Master."_

Slipping into the cockpit of his starfighter, Anakin immediately began strapping himself in. The sooner he dealt with the Separatist leaders on Mustafar the sooner he could return to Coruscant. Everything should be ready by then and then Anakin could put the whole mess behind him.

"We've been ordered to go to Mustafar, Artoo," Anakin sighed as he leaned back in his seat. "That's where the Separatists are and that's how we're going to end this Force forsaken war."

Anakin didn't feel any better for having said it aloud.


	6. Part VI

Hiding in the shadows of an intersecting corridor, Cody watched the approach of the Royal Guards. They patrolled that section of the cruiser with an almost programmed regularity. Twice every standard hour the pair of them marched along that single corridor, pausing long enough to glance into the detention room where General Kenobi was being held on the half-hour mark. When a full hour had passed they slipped into the room and administered whatever drug was keeping him in the state of false death. Cody didn't know exactly what the drug was, but he was certain that it was interfering with whatever bond he and General Skywalker possessed or else the younger Jedi would have already appeared.

It was their half-hour patrol so there would be no drug. Whatever the drug was, it was halfway out of General Kenobi's system.

Retreating so that they would not see him as they passed, Cody disappeared once again into the shadows. The instant that they stepped beyond him, he moved out into the corridor, pulling out two blasters from his belt. Without so much as a sound, he drew them up and fired into the base of their skulls below their cowls.

The Royal Guards dropped without so much as a sound.

Replacing his blasters, Cody quickly dragged the two dead guards into the corridor where he had hidden himself. The shadows were not as concealing as he would have liked, but it would do for the time being. He only needed a short amount of time to secret General Kenobi off the cruiser. And while he still didn't have the code to open the room, without the threat of the Royal Guards hearing, Cody used his blaster to blow out the panel. The door slid open silently revealing General Kenobi still in a sprawled heap.

Originally, Cody had meant to abide by his orders and leave the Jedi to his fate. As much as he had disliked the order, it was still an order and he was duty bound to obey it. Until he had seen the HoloNet report of what was happening on Coruscant while they were between hyperspace jumps. What he had seen and shown him that he couldn't trust that General Skywalker would keep Emperor Palpatine from killing General Kenobi.

So he had taken it upon himself to break with protocol and give General Kenobi a chance to save himself.

* * *

The only comfort that Anakin took during his long trip to Mustafar was the knowledge that while he was traveling further and further away from Coruscant, Obi-Wan was becoming ever closer. And then, once he had finished with the Separatists, he could return to Coruscant and revive his lover. It was that simple fact that Anakin focused on. Better that than the mostly empty promises he had received from Palpatine.

Anakin allowed R2-D2 to handle the bulk of their navigation, grateful for the time to just sit. He had feared Obi-Wan going to Utapau on his own, he hadn't thought it would create such a chain of events. Anakin had known on a level that he did not want to acknowledge that Obi-Wan could have been killed. They had both lost to Grievous in the past and Obi-Wan was notorious for getting into trouble on his own. It had always just been a joke, though, because Anakin had always been there in the end to save him.

Of course Anakin hadn't quite figured out how he was going to get himself out of his own predicament either. The easiest thing to do would be to kill Sidious once he had learned all that he could from the Sith lord. Except that Anakin wasn't sure that he could defeat Sidious. Even if his skill with a lightsaber were greater than the older man's, Sidious knew things that he didn't. Sidious had been trained in all aspects of the Force while Anakin still knew only of the light. It didn't matter. In the end, Anakin would do everything he must in order to ensure that there was peace.

_Anakin awoke with a start, sitting up straight in his bed as he sucked in lungfuls of air. The dream had terrified him. Obi-Wan being attacked and him once again unable to prevent it. Obi-Wan had died a second time because he hadn't been strong enough or fast enough. There was a sick churning in his stomach as Anakin fought to banish the vision from his mind._

_His actions somewhat jerking, Anakin climbed out of his bed. He padded across the room, his footsteps the only sound and even those were muffled almost entirely. He purposely kept the lights in the common room off so that when he palmed open the door to Obi-Wan's bedchamber only a small amount of moonlight seeped into the room. With the added moonlight already casting a silver glow upon the room, Anakin could clearly see Obi-Wan as he sleep peacefully upon his own bed._

_After so many months, Obi-Wan was once again sleeping in his own bed. Safe from that lunatic of a woman who had meant to make a gift of him to Dooku._

"_I was trying to sleep," Obi-Wan yawned, blinking his eyes open. "It's very difficult to you when someone is staring at you from the doorway."_

"_I'm sorry, Master," Anakin murmured, bowing his head._

_Raising himself up so that he reclined against the head of the bed, Obi-Wan held a hand out towards Anakin. "There is no need to apologize, my young Padawan. Come here."_

_Anakin's feet were moving before the words had even been silenced upon the air. He lifted his left hand, clutching at Obi-Wan's fingers as soon as he was close enough. His breath was shaky and he didn't put up any resistance as Obi-Wan tugged him down onto the bed._

"_You were projecting quite loudly, Anakin," Obi-Wan said quietly as the younger man settled down next to him. "What troubles your thoughts this night?"_

"_I tried meditating earlier while you were in the healer's wing," Anakin whispered, afraid to break the peace of the night with loud noise. "Ever since we've found you I've been trying to find a way to release my fears into the Force like I know I should. Only I can't. I'm more afraid now than I was when we thought you were dead."_

_Reaching across his body, Obi-Wan lightly took hold of Anakin's padawan braid between his thumb and forefinger. "I heard from Ki-Adi-Mundi that you threatened to leave the Order when they first assigned you to him. That you nearly pulled this—" Obi-Wan gave the braid a light tug for emphasis "—from your head as you shouted and cursed. I must admit that I'm surprised you kept your hair short as it is since it usually requires me pestering you for days on end to keep it cut."_

"_I wouldn't give you so much trouble if you'd just shave that wretched thing off your face," Anakin teased, fighting desperately to keep the smile from his lips. "It makes you look old."_

"_I am old."_

"_Thirty-six is hardly old."_

"_I'm nearly thirty-seven."_

_Grinning now, Anakin leaned fully against Obi-Wan's side. They spoke softly for some time, Anakin informing Obi-Wan of all that had happened while he had been gone. At some point Obi-Wan covered him with the blanket and a short time after they both laid down, Anakin curling himself around Obi-Wan as he began to doze. Obi-Wan turned his head towards him then, nuzzling Anakin's hair and sighing deeply. Allowing his own voice to drift off, Anakin used the pretext of sleepiness to press a kiss to Obi-Wan's bare shoulder._

_Once he realized what he'd done, Anakin stayed perfectly still, fearful that Obi-Wan would wake up. Obi-Wan merely sighed, snuggling deeper into the pillow. Once he was certain that Obi-Wan would stay asleep, Anakin relaxed as well, finally calm enough to drift off to sleep himself._

Anakin had far too much time to think. It would take more than a standard day for him to reach Mustafar from Coruscant. A standard day alone with only his own thoughts and the inane ramblings of R2-D2 to keep him company. Normally he didn't mind the droid's company—Artoo was a gift from Padmé after all –but Anakin only wanted the silence. As much as it pained him, he knew that he needed to remember these things because if Palpatine was wrong, and they couldn't bring Obi-Wan back to life, Anakin would be the only one with those memories. He would be the only one left alive who would remember Obi-Wan smiling, laughing, relaxed, peaceful, passionate, sated, and so many other emotions that resulted from such mundane events. There was undoubtedly a huge amount of holofiles on the two of them in the HoloNet databanks, but not everything would have been recorded. It was those things Anakin knew he had to remember.

Just in case.

_For the second time that week, Anakin woke to find himself in an unfamiliar bed with a warm body pressed up against his own. Unlike the last time it had happened, though, his thoughts didn't automatically stay to Padmé. This time Anakin knew that it was Obi-Wan he was waking up next to. And he was relieved to feel the slight shift of his chest every few seconds, evidence that the older man was still breathing. Anakin shifted just enough so that he lay with his head resting over Obi-Wan's heart and he could hear the constant thumping as it pumped blood throughout his body. Anakin wasn't quite sure how he'd come to be lying so far down on the bed when he distinctly remembered falling asleep with his head on the pillow, but he chose not to question it._

_He hadn't even considered the possibility that Obi-Wan was awake until he felt arms wind themselves around his torso. Only the faintest hints of sunlight filled the room indicating that dawn had only recently passed and after everything that he had been through Obi-Wan should have still been asleep. Obi-Wan said nothing about their current position, instead he just allowed his fingers to drift over Anakin's naked back._

"_Even though the Council would rather you stay under Ki-Adi-Mundi's tutelage for a time, I was able to prevail against them on the pretext that we needed to strengthen our bond after so long apart," Obi-Wan murmured, his voice thick with sleep. "We are apparently of some value as a team."_

"_As if you didn't know that," Anakin snorted, lifting himself up enough so that he could see Obi-Wan's face._

_Obi-Wan smiled fondly at him, raising a hand to push his bangs from his face. "I do believe we have had many conversations about your abundant ego and pride."_

"_How can it be pride or ego if it is a simple statement of fact?" Anakin protested. He was silent for a moment before adding, "I wouldn't want to be partnered with anyone else. I don't trust anyone else enough to put my life in their hands."_

_Below him, Obi-Wan was positively vibrating. It was an odd sensation. For as long as he'd known him, Obi-Wan had always been the one in control—calm in any situation. Obi-Wan wasn't supposed to be the one so close to losing control. Yet he was. So very close._

"_Master, are you—"_

"_I'm fine," Obi-Wan interrupted, offering up a forced smile. "I was briefly suffering from a bout of mortality, but it's passed."_

"_Master…. Obi-Wan. I love you," Anakin whispered, holding Obi-Wan's gaze for a moment before lowering his eyes._

"_Anakin…."_

_Lifting his eyes once more, Anakin offered up a rather lop-sided smile. "I just, I wanted you to know that in case next time we can't find you. Or you can't find me."_

_Obi-Wan held him tightly, his expression utterly serious. "I will never not find you." _

* * *

Once inside the escape pod, Cody carefully set General Kenobi down on the padded bench at the back of the capsule. There was another ten minutes before the Imperial Cruiser began its final jump before reaching Coruscant so this was his final chance to get General Kenobi somewhere safe. He had consulted the star charts earlier and planned to land the escape pod on Corellia. It would be easy enough for them to disappear into the mass of traders and smugglers in the various spaceports that littered the planet. And then once he recovered from the effects of the drug General Kenobi could chose their next course of action.

With everything that was going in while the cruiser was prepared for a hyperspace jump, it would be a while before anyone noticed their absence. Cody had everything planned so that the pod would disengage from the ship along with the waste. By the time anyone realized that an escape ship had been launched the jump would have already commenced and it would be too late to do anything. He and General Kenobi would be well on their way to Corellia.

Closing the air-lock, Cody backed away, seating himself on the escape pod's other available bench. He felt very strange. This was the first time he'd gone against a direct order. It was no ordinary order, either, having come directly from Emperor Palpatine himself. General Kenobi was his commander, though, and he had been trained to protect his commander at all costs. And since he could no longer rely on General Skywalker to ensure General Kenobi's safety, he would have to take it upon himself.

When the escape pod fired, moments after the garbage was released, Cody felt relieved. The pod drifted for a few moments, until the cruiser shot forward into hyperspace. Then the boosters kicked in and the small craft was propelled towards Corellia.

_

* * *

Obi-Wan was sprawled on the sofa, sound asleep. They'd been training all that morning—lightsaber practice –and Obi-Wan had exhausted himself. It had only been two days since their return from Riflor, but Obi-Wan had insisted on returning to their usual training schedule when they were on Coruscant. After spending several hours practicing the various battle forms, Obi-Wan hadn't even had the energy to shower before collapsing on the couch._

_For his own part, Anakin had been doing his utmost to distract himself while his master slept. In the end, instead of puttering about with a droid, Anakin found himself sprawled on the floor reading a holopad. It was a text he was meant to have read years ago while still attending regular lessons at the Temple, but had always put off. Since he didn't want to risk waking Obi-Wan, Anakin gave in and read it._

_It didn't take long before Anakin's resolve began to crumble and he set the rather dull holopad aside. Incredibly bored, he stared up at the ceiling, his eyes occasionally drifting towards the couch where Obi-Wan continued to sleep._

_While he was watching, Anakin noticed Obi-Wan's nose and lips beginning to twitch. Then his fingers, right arm. Anakin rolled onto his hands and knees, crawling across the short distance that separated them. Then he just knelt there, watching him. When the twitching became more severe, Anakin very gently placed his hand on Obi-Wan's bicep. It seemed to calm him somewhat so Anakin kept him arm still._

_Then, without really thinking about it, he leaned forward, brushing his lips against Obi-Wan's forehead. It was a gesture he'd received countless times from his master when he was younger. He'd meant for it to comfort his master, but he hadn't thought that it would comfort him as well. _

It was Artoo's twittering that roused him from his half-conscious state. They were coming out of a jump and after that it would take only one more before they reached Mustafar. Only a few more hours and the war would be brought to an end. That alone was reason enough for him to have temporarily aligned himself with Palpatine. Through Sidious, Anakin had finally found a way to destroy the Separatist leaders and bring the galaxy back in order.

Scrubbing a hand over his face, Anakin double-checked the coordinates a final time before firing up the hyperspace booster. The stars slowly turned from pinpricks of light into long streaks. Anakin watched them, almost soothed by their presence. It seemed a lifetime ago that he'd told Master Qui-Gon that he wanted to visit every planet. To be the first one to do that. At the moment, though, the only planets he was interested in seeing were Mustafar and Utapau. Palpatine had assured him that he would keep Grievous on Utapau long enough for Anakin to gain his revenge. He would kill Grievous and take back Obi-Wan's lightsaber.

It was what came after that worried Anakin because he honestly didn't know what was going to happen. Anakin had no idea how he was going to get himself out from under Palpatine's thumb and erase his existence as Darth Vader. Just thinking the name made Anakin cringe. It twisted his stomach to think of all that he had done under that name.

Anakin couldn't even be sure that Obi-Wan would even forgive him for what he'd done. He was the one who had simply stood there and allowed the whole Jedi Order to be destroyed. Anakin could have stopped Palpatine. If he had just helped Master Windu the Sith would have been destroyed at long last. With Dooku already dead, Palpatine had been the only one left until Anakin had knelt before him and pledged his life to the Sith.

_Sitting back on his heels, Anakin continued to watch as Obi-Wan slept on, his body no longer twitching. He sucked his lips in, making sure that Obi-Wan was truly sleeping. Then he leaned forward a second time, curious, to brush his lips against Obi-Wan's. It felt very different than when he kissed Padmé. His lips were rougher, more solid, and the rasp of his beard was an entirely odd experience._

_Obi-Wan's eyelids began to flutter then and Anakin scrambled backwards. He reached blindly for his discarded holopad, hoping to look casual by the time Obi-Wan woke fully._

"_You're projecting quite loudly again, Anakin," Obi-Wan yawned, blinking his eyes open._

"_I'm sorry, Master," Anakin mumbled, his fingers scratching at the edge of the holopad. "I didn't…."_

"_You did," Obi-Wan contradicted as he rose from the sofa. He crossed the small space and knelt down before Anakin, placing a hand on his shoulder. "And given all the stress you've been under recently, it's understandable that you're feeling out of sorts."_

_Anakin nodded his head, his eyes still trained on the holopad. "What if it's not just me feeling out of sorts?"_

_Obi-Wan sighed deeply, his breath warm against Anakin's forehead. "Then we'll deal with it as it comes." _

* * *

The escape pod was just entering Corellia's atmosphere when General Kenobi began to stir. It would be a while before he was fully coherent, but he was no longer so deeply sedated. Cody relaxed against into the bench, more at ease about what was going on now that his commander was recovering.

The situation he was waking up into, though, was unlike any General Kenobi had probably ever considered possible. It went beyond what Cody himself though possible. He never would have envisioned anything that would turn General Skywalker against his best friend.


	7. Part VII

Disengaging from the hyperspace booster, Anakin entered Mustafar's atmosphere. The frightening landscape was beyond anything he could have envisioned. It was a terrifying world of fire and would have been a suitable setting for his downfall did he not have other things to take care of. Obi-Wan and Padmé were depending on him and he couldn't allow himself to give into his grief.

"I want you to stay with the ship, Artoo," Anakin ordered as he brought his ship towards one of the docking platforms. "This shouldn't take too long and I want to be gone from here as soon as possible."

There was a twittering from the astromech droid that Anakin took to be an affirmative. If he could just keep focused on events as they took place, he would be okay. What he was about to do would end the war that had cost many thousands of lives. Dooku was dead and soon the Separatist leaders and Grievous would be as well. The droid army would be without their leaders and the Republic would have its victory. There would be peace then. A peace that he and Obi-Wan had fought so hard for and that Obi-Wan had died for. Even if Palpatine was telling the truth and they were able to resurrect Obi-Wan, the other man would have still been dead.

Receiving the landing coordinates from one of the command centers, Anakin steered his ship towards the designated landing platform. The Separatist leaders were waiting for him just beyond the platform in one of the few constructed outposts on the planet, its defensive shields the only thing protecting it from the lava and the radiation that was its main source of income. The Separatist leaders were expecting new orders from Lord Sidious, not their deaths. However, betrayal was something to be expected when dealing with the Sith. It was that knowledge Anakin feared most. That Palpatine had been his friend for the past thirteen years offered him no comfort whatsoever because Anakin was starting to doubt that the Palpatine that was his friend had ever truly existed.

_Anakin stood before the Council, shoulder to shoulder with his master. He had known from the instant he'd set a course for Riflor that he would be punished by the Council for disobeying the orders of one of its members. It didn't matter that he'd found Obi-Wan and rescued him, the mission had started with him going against Ki-Adi-Mundi's orders because he'd felt a brief flicker of his master's presence._

"_Too strong this attachment to your master has become," Yoda mused, his gaze unwavering as he stared at Anakin. "Listen to reason you do not where concerned Obi-Wan is."_

"_I will not apologize for my bond with my master," Anakin stated calmly, his hands clenched tightly behind his back. "He has been my teacher and friend for more than ten years. I could not abandon him when I knew he was in danger."_

"_We are in the midst of a war, Skywalker. Every Jedi here is in danger," Mace Windu pointed out, smug as ever as he leaned forward to rest his forearms on his knees._

"_And those that can be saved should be to keep our numbers from being so depleted," Anakin protested. "If Ventress had captured my master a second time she would have given him to Count Dooku. They would have twisted his mind and turned him against us."_

"_Anakin, calm yourself," Obi-Wan murmured, placing a hand on his shoulder and squeezing lightly._

"_They would have left you to die!" Anakin shouted, spinning about to face Obi-Wan fully. "After everything you've done, they would have let you be swallowed by the Dark Side."_

_Obi-Wan smiled softly, the corners of his eyes much more lined than they had been in recent years. "Yet here I stand, alive and well. You need not always put yourself at risk for me. I did manage to survive twenty-five years before meeting you, after all."_

"_Out of hand, this meeting has become," Yoda interrupted, clacking his gimmer stick against the edge of his seat. "Order there will be. Excused for the present, Obi-Wan is. Speak with young Skywalker the Council will."_

_Beside him, Anakin felt Obi-Wan tense, but he nodded his head as expected. For all their faults, Obi-Wan never went against the will of the Council, even when it contradicted his own thoughts. At that moment, Anakin could feel a flicker of unease and distrust coming from his master. It was gone in an instant, replaced by the calm that usually enfolded the older man. Obi-Wan squeezed his shoulder a final time before turning about on his heel and exiting the room, leaving Anakin to face the Council by himself._

* * *

His head ached nearly as much as his chest. When he went to lift his hand, he found himself unable to, the weight of his arm too much. Worried by that, he remained perfectly still, reaching out with the Force to gain a sense of his surroundings only to discover that there was very little around him. Very cautiously, Obi-Wan blinked his eyes open, confirming that he was indeed lying in an escape pod and that Cody was seated across from him. Obi-Wan was able to focus on his companion for only a brief moment before unconsciousness claimed him once again.

_Obi-Wan paced outside the Council chambers, hands clenched tightly behind his back. This was not the first time Anakin had been reprimanded. Far from it, actually. What it was, however, was the first time Obi-Wan had been sent away during the interim. That was what worried Obi-Wan most. He was Anakin's master and there should have been no reason to confront the boy without him being present._

_Straining his senses outward, Obi-Wan hoped to be able get some sense of what was happening on the other side of the door. Instead he was slammed up against a barrier that was not of Anakin's making. Obi-Wan knew that there were dampening shields that surrounded the Council room in order to ensure its secrecy, but he should have been able to still sense Anakin's emotions given the strength of their bond. It had been strong enough for Anakin to know he was alive even when half the galaxy separated them._

_Obi-Wan could only find minimal comfort in the conversation he and Yoda had had the day before. At the time he had been relieved that Yoda had agreed to return Anakin's guardianship to him. He now feared that Yoda had simply meant to appease him until this afternoon's formal meeting. It was a tactic Obi-Wan would have expected of Mace who had never bothered to hide his mistrust of Anakin despite all of the good he'd done. Obi-Wan would not deny that Anakin was still prone to giving into his emotions, but he could hardly condemn the boy for something that had just saved his life._

_Stroking a hand over his bearded jaw, Obi-Wan stared at the Council room door, waiting for it to open and hoping that all would be well when it did. Obi-Wan wasn't certain that he was ready to abandon the Jedi Order, but he did know that he wasn't ready to be parted from Anakin._

It was the rolling of the escape pod that woke Obi-Wan a second time. Unable to catch himself in time, his full weight was flung against the safety straps, digging into his chest and stomach. It took a moment before he was able to reach out with the Force to help steady his body. Simple as it was, the act exhausted him and Obi-Wan had no choice but to release his connection to the Force. He managed to remain conscious for a few seconds longer before giving into his exhaustion.

_The door to the Council chamber slid open soundlessly and Obi-Wan was immediately bombarded by Anakin's anger and frustration. Anakin remained standing in the center of the room even as Obi-Wan stalked inside. He reached out through the Force, seeking to calm Anakin's frazzled nerves. Whatever had happened had not gone well in Anakin's estimation._

"_A decision the Council has reached on the matter at hand," Yoda announced once Obi-Wan was once again standing at his padawan's side._

It was with a start that Obi-Wan awoke, something having spurred his return to consciousness. His back arched as he lay panting on the rather uncomfortable bench. It was not his dreams that had woken him; memories of a time that seemed a lifetime ago. It was something much more present that woke him, shuddering into consciousness.

"Another one of your spectacular landings, Anakin," Obi-Wan whispered, still on the verge of sleep. Eyes mostly closed, Obi-Wan fumbled with the fastenings of the straps that held him in place. Then he paused, glancing about the small space and not seeing his partner. "Cody. What's going on?"

"Welcome back, boss," Cody grunted, unstrapping himself from his own seat.

Obi-Wan furrowed his brows. "I was unaware that I'd been somewhere."

"The HoloNet has named you as a casualty of this war," Cody revealed, rising to his full height as he spoke.

"Oh."

Leaving the unfastening of the safety harness for a moment, Obi-Wan brought a hand to his face. He pressed his thumb and middle finger against his temples, his remaining fingers splayed across his face. He stretched out through the Force, hoping that it would grant him some hint of what had happened in the giant void in his memory. He pushed through the muddled area, searching out his last clear memory.

_Jumping down silently behind Grievous, Obi-Wan brought his lightsaber up in a two-handed grip, the sapphire blade momentarily disengaged. While the cyborg was still unaware of his presence, he straightened, a slight grin tugging at the corners of his mouth._

"_Hello there."_

_Grievous whirled around, reptilian eyes immediately locking on him. "General Kenobi, you are a bold one. I find your behavior bewildering. . . . Surely you realize you're doomed." Though no expression could be seen through the death mask, Obi-Wan imagined the smile that would have been there as the general addressed the nearby droids. "Kill him!"_

_Obi-Wan didn't even flinch as he was surrounded on all sides by droids, Grievous and his cadre of bodyguards directly in front of him. Even outnumbered to such a degree, Obi-Wan's calm never wavered. He stared down the monstrosity that had once been the Kaleesh general, waiting for the beast to make the first move._

_Grievous snarled. "Enough of this."_

"The rumours of my death have a frighteningly real source, don't they," Obi-Wan mused aloud, his fingers straying to what felt like a painful bruise concealed beneath his tunic. While the rest of his body ached, it was his chest that had obviously bore the brunt of some attack.

_Instinct called for him to glance upwards just in time for him to see the blaster fired directly at him. Shock, however, held him in place when he should have ducked. As Obi-Wan felt a sudden fire burst through his chest his eyes locked with Cody's beyond the barrel of the clone's blaster._

His body tense, Obi-Wan kept Cody in sight just out of the corner of his eye as he resolutely unfastened the harness that continued to hold him stretched out and vulnerable. He didn't want to believe that Cody had done anything to harm him, attempting to convince himself that it was a side effect of whatever drug was currently making his limbs feel almost leaden. Of course, that didn't explain why they were in an escape pod as it would have required them to first return to the battle cruiser, something which Obi-Wan had no recollection of.

"I've obviously missed something again, haven't I? What are we doing in an escape pod?"

Obi-Wan wasn't certain what type of explanation he'd been expecting, but it wasn't the one Cody mapped out for him. He couldn't wrap his mind around the knowledge that the Jedi Order and the Republic could both be destroyed so easily. That they had only existed so long as Sidious had willed it so. The revelation that Chancellor Palpatine and Sidious were one and the same was especially troubling to Obi-Wan for what it would mean to Anakin.

"Anakin. Where is he?" Obi-Wan demanded, forcing himself to his feet. "Did he survive or has he fallen as well?"

"Anakin Skywalker has indeed fallen. He has become the Sith Lord Vader."

In that moment, everything that Obi-Wan Kenobi thought he knew was yanked out from under him.

* * *

As he strode towards the main control room where the Separatist leaders were gathered, Anakin pulled his hood up to conceal his features somewhat. It would not in any way absolve him of the deeds he'd committed since learning of Obi-Wan's death, but there was a comfort in the familiar gesture.

"Welcome, Lord Vader. We've been expecting you," Nute Gunray said as Anakin stepped into the doorway.

With a brief gesture towards the control panel, Anakin is able to shut all of the doors and effectively block any escape the Separatists would attempt. While they all watch in confusion, Anakin ignited his lightsaber. Panic overtook the room then, droids moving towards him while the Separatist scattered, banging against the doors and hiding where they could. In contrast, Anakin was utterly calm, doing what he needed to do. What he had to do.

_Anakin felt instantly soothed when Obi-Wan returned to his side. He longed to brush even a fingertip along the side of Obi-Wan's hand—the only unobtrusive area of bared flesh –for reasons that he cared not to think about. He was married after all and he loved Padmé desperately. But the thought of a life without Obi-Wan..._

_Anakin knew that he should be better at shielding his thoughts, if not from Obi-Wan than from the Council. Master Yoda and the other Masters had the ability to separate him from Obi-Wan if they so choose. Anakin had certainly given them reason enough to do so in the last half hour._

"_A decision the Council has reached on the matter at hand," Master Yoda announced, his gaze not wavering from the two Jedi standing in the center of the Council room. "Remain on Coruscant Obi-Wan and Anakin will. Young Skywalker to begin his trials, Obi-Wan to oversee delicate situations that have arisen on Coruscant."_

_Relieved as he should have felt, Anakin couldn't ignore the truth. The Council meant to separate them._

"Stop! Enough, this is not right!" Rune Haako cried as Anakin followed the remaining Separatists into the conference room.

Anakin had to resist from snorting in mirthless amusement. He fully agreed with Haako's words because nothing of what was going on was right with the exception of the fact that the Separatist threat was finally being eliminated. It was all coming too late, though, and at too high a price. How could he be expected to be a proper father when he had killed younglings? He had murdered children who had posed no threat to anything. They'd trusted him to protect them and instead he had cut their lives short.

Behind him, Anakin sensed two battle droids approaching at the same instant they opened fire on him. With the aid of the Force, Anakin bolted up into the rafters to avoid being struck by the ensuing blaster fire. Through it all he kept Nute Gunray—the only remaining Separatist –in his sights. Even as he backtracked in order to jump down behind the droids, Anakin made certain he could still see the Neimodian viceroy.

"The war is over. Lord Sidious promised us peace ... we only want—"

It made dispatching of the villain who had spent so much time trying to kill Padmé that much easier.

Killing Gunray didn't offer any relief like Anakin had thought it would. The vile Neimodian was dead, but it didn't erase anything that had been done to Padmé on his orders. For several long minutes, Anakin stared down at what remained of the being he had tried so long to bring to justice. To kill Nute Gunray was a wish that had existed in the back of Anakin's mind since the war on Naboo so long ago. Back then Anakin hadn't even known who Viceroy Nute Gunray was. The Neimodian had been a faceless being that existed in the nine year old's mind as "the one who'd tried to kill Padmé." It seemed strange to Anakin that he was finally dead, yet fitting that it had been his own lightsaber that had killed the viceroy.

"_You've been awfully quiet," Obi-Wan said quietly as he and Anakin strode down the corridor leading to their quarters. "I would have expected you to be bounding with excitement now that you've finally been granted permission to take your trials."_

"_I am glad to be taking them," Anakin insisted, sounding unconvincing even to his own ears. "It's all that I've ever wanted."_

_They were close enough to their suite then that Obi-Wan refrained from speaking until they were safely inside, away from any unwanted observation._

"_Just who are you trying to convince, Anakin? Me or yourself?"_

_Ducking his head down, Anakin stared at the floor rather than meeting Obi-Wan's piercing gaze. "They'll separate us, Master. Once I've passed my trials there won't be any reason for us to be kept together and they'll send us to different sides of the galaxy. I know it."_

"_You fear it," Obi-Wan corrected, placing a hand on Anakin's shoulder and urging him to turn slightly. "It's a fear you need to release because it's a useless one. The Council won't separate us. We work together too well for them to risk separating us."_

_Though he was far too old for such a thing, Anakin allowed himself to be bundled into Obi-Wan's arms. He wound his arms around the older man's torso, holding on as tight as he dared. Anakin wanted some way to bind Obi-Wan to him for the rest of their lives, something more substantial than the tentative one their training bond offered._

Back in the control center, Anakin opened a communication link between Mustafar and the offices of the Chancellor. It took only a few moments before a holographic image of Sidious took shape above the console of the holocommunicator.

"The Separatists are taken care of, my Master," Anakin informed the Sith lord, blocking any emotions from effecting his voice.

Even in his holographic form, Sidious appeared far too smug with that bit of information. "It is finished, then. You have restored peace and justice to the galaxy. You have done well, Lord Vader."

"Thank you, my Master," Anakin said because it was expected of him.

_Cautiously at first, Anakin began to stroke his fingertips along Obi-Wan's sides. It was a test of sorts, a way to see if Obi-Wan would push him away or allow the intimacy they already shared to become something more. Anakin wasn't quite sure how far he was willing to take things. He wasn't sure that he could make himself that vulnerable._

"_Anakin?" Obi-Wan murmured, bringing one hand up to cup Anakin's cheek and tilt his head back slightly._

_Anakin clutched compulsively at Obi-Wan's sides, unwilling to release the tight grip he had on the beige tunics. "I'm sorry, Master."_

_Obi-Wan merely stared at him in confusion. "What are you apologizing for, Anakin? You haven't done anything that warrants such guilt."_

_Squeezing his eyes shut tight so that he wouldn't have to see the look of disgust on Obi-Wan's face, Anakin touched his lips to Obi-Wan's. The kiss was more forceful than the one from the previous afternoon as there was no risk of waking the older man. Obi-Wan was already awake and, surprisingly, didn't stiffen at the first touch of their lips. He didn't return to kiss, but there wasn't the disgusted recoiling Anakin had half feared and expected._

_When Obi-Wan's hand on his cheek didn't fall away, Anakin slowly blinked his eyes open. There was confusion in those familiar blue-grey eyes, but no sense of reproach._

"_Anakin, what are...?"_

_Anakin couldn't find the words to explain it to Obi-Wan. He wasn't even entirely certain he understood it himself. Everything was just happening too fast. He had almost been ready to accept the fact that Obi-Wan was dead only to have his best friend returned to him. And now the Council wanted to separate them again. It hadn't been said in so many words, but Anakin had sensed the undercurrent that charged the Council room. With Master Windu as a spokesman, he'd been told unequivocally that he was far too dependent on Obi-Wan._

"_I'm not going anywhere," Obi-Wan whispered against his forehead, once again drawing Anakin into his arms._

Standing on the balcony that led out from the control center, Anakin attempted to center his thoughts. Sidious had ordered him to return to Coruscant, but Anakin couldn't do that yet. Grievous was still on Utapau and Anakin couldn't return home without first avenging his lover's murderer.

* * *

Obi-Wan sat in front of the console, unable to fully comprehend what he was viewing. It was all as Cody had said. His death had been falsely reported only a few hours before all the other Jedi stationed throughout the galaxy had been simultaneously attacked by the clones under their command. Mace Windu had been killed in an attempt to assassinate Chancellor Palpatine. And the Temple had been attacked, the Jedi within all killed by a force of clone troopers and a single black-cloaked Jedi.

Anakin.

Even though no image existed of the rogue Jedi's face, Obi-Wan knew that it was Anakin. The set of the shoulders, length of the stride, and movement of the body were all his lover's. Anakin had fallen. He had become a Sith.

For the life of him Obi-Wan didn't know what he was going to do now. For all of the anger he'd known existed inside Anakin he'd never thought the younger man would actually fall prey to the Dark Side of the Force. There was a goodness in Anakin that had always prevailed.

Covering his mouth with his right hand, Obi-Wan used his left to sever the HoloNet connection. Obi-Wan struggled to center his now roiling emotions, knowing that it would be impossible for him to fall apart. There had to still be some good left in Anakin. Something that could be redeemed. At the moment it was the only hope Obi-Wan had to cling to.


	8. Part VIII

Splashing water over his face, Obi-Wan raised his head so as to see his reflection in the mirror before him. As one of the few remaining Jedi, Obi-Wan had known that he could not simply stride about in public if he wanted to continue surviving. So Cody had found them a room in one of the less reputable inns that charged by the hour. They wouldn't be staying long, only long enough for Obi-Wan to shave off his trademark beard and trim his hair to a length it hadn't been since he was a padawan. His Jedi robes were also exchanged for plain civilian clothes. Black leather trousers and a brown tunic, the shades far darker than any he would have worn only a few short days before.

Obi-Wan felt very strange in the new clothing. Even more so because it was a blaster strapped to his belt and not a lightsaber. However nothing was so surreal as the fact that Anakin had aligned himself with the Sith. The man he trusted with his life, his best friend, had become everything they'd fought to destroy.

"There has to be a reason," Obi-Wan murmured, leaning back in his chair and rubbing a hand over his now-smooth jaw.

He couldn't believe that Anakin would fall for no reason. There had to have been something that happened since he'd left Coruscant. Anakin had been worried about him, but that couldn't be a reason for what had happened. Anakin wouldn't abandon everything he believed in because of him.

_Obi-Wan had no idea what to make of the kiss. He'd known that Anakin had been under a great deal of stress lately, but hadn't thought it would manifest itself in such a way. Obi-Wan would have been lying if he'd said that he hadn't noticed what an attractive man Anakin had become. He would have needed to be blind not to notice. It was not reacting to it that Obi-Wan had always struggled for. He had to constantly remind himself that he had been a father figure to Anakin; that he'd raised the younger man since he was nine._

_Except that now Anakin had kissed him in a way that was far from chaste._

_So it wasn't entirely a surprise when Anakin appeared at his doorway that night when he was preparing for bed. Giving himself a moment to ensure his own calm, Obi-Wan pulled down the blankets before turning around. He was the master, it was up to him to be the rational one._

"_There's no need for you to be nervous around me," Obi-Wan assured him, turning the lamp up another notch in hopes that more light would ease Anakin's mind._

"_I came to apologize," Anakin murmured, ducking his head down._

_Obi-Wan smiled softly, crossing his arms over his bare chest. "If you feel that you must apologize, so be it. I will gladly accept it if it will ease your conscience. However, if you give it because you think you must..."_

_Anakin remained silent, tugging lightly on his padawan braid. Even if Obi-Wan hadn't been able to sense how uneasy Anakin was, his posture made it quite obvious. After noticing a particularly hard yank, Obi-Wan crossed the room and carefully pried Anakin's fingers from the dark blonde braid._

"_I know you're desperate to have it gone, but there's no need to pull it out by the roots," Obi-Wan chided, his smile never wavering. "Soon enough you'll be knighted and you can cut it off properly."_

"_Would you be the one to cut it off?" Anakin asked, finally lifting his gaze to meet Obi-Wan's._

"_I would be honoured, Anakin."_

_With that simple declaration Anakin relaxed considerably. He bowed his head forward, his chin resting against Obi-Wan's cheek. In years past, before Anakin's final growth spurt, the position would have left him with his forehead against Obi-Wan's chin. Sighing, Obi-Wan lifted his arms, winding them around Anakin's middle. He couldn't help but smile when Anakin returned the embrace._

_And even though his lips were so very close to Anakin's, Obi-Wan refrained from initiating a second kiss. Regardless of the fact that Anakin was to take his trials soon, for the time being Obi-Wan was still his master. He was still Anakin's guardian and it didn't feel right to take advantage of that._

_Jedi or not, he was still a man, and could not resist when Anakin's lips brushed against his in the briefest of kisses. A kiss that grew when Anakin realized that he wasn't going to protest._

Obi-Wan was pulled from his thoughts by Cody's return to their small room. He spared the clone a brief nod, his mind still turned mostly inward, trying to figure out what was going on in Anakin's mind. Obi-Wan had tried reaching out to them through their still surprisingly strong training bond only to find himself stumbling over mental barriers. There was simply too much darkness clouding Anakin's mind.

"What happened to Grievous?" Obi-Wan asked sudden, turning about in his chair until his eyes locked on Cody who was going through one of the packs of supplies they'd procured earlier.

"Grievous was ordered to stay on Utapau and continue commanding the droid army from there," Cody said automatically.

"Sidious wants Anakin to kill him," Obi-Wan corrected, easily reading the truth behind the order. "If he's still playing at being Palpatine he'll use the death of Grievous to bring the Separatist army under his command. He'll have control of the whole galaxy which has likely been his goal all along."

"And General Skywalker?"

Frowning, Obi-Wan scrubbed a hand over his forehead. "Anakin will legitimate his new position to the people. After all, if the Hero with No Fear follows the galaxy's new emperor…."

"What do you mean to do? The Jedi have been declared enemies of the Republic," Cody pointed out as he zipped up the first of the two packs.

"I'm going to Utapau. I have to see Anakin."

* * *

The sight of the solitary hyperspace booster hanging in orbit above Utapau's atmosphere caused Anakin's heart to clench. It was one of the many hyperspace boosters that had surrounded Coruscant for the use of both the Jedi and lately the clone army. 

It was the one Obi-Wan had used.

Even though there was no markings that would distinctively mark it as being Obi-Wan's, Anakin knew that it was the one his lover had used to bring him to his death. For several long minutes Anakin remained hovering in place, staring at the ringed structure. It was surreal to see it there knowing that Obi-Wan's starship would be flying back to Coruscant attached to it.

Artoo's twittering pulled Anakin from his thoughts. Blinking a few times, Anakin once again turned his attention to the console. He locked onto the tracking signal from Obi-Wan's starfighter and began his descent into Utapau's atmosphere.

_Anakin's whole body relaxed when he realized that Obi-Wan wasn't going to shove him away. Even so, he still pulled back from the kiss, meeting Obi-Wan's eyes to make sure he wasn't trying to hide something. No matter how many times Obi-Wan had tried to hide things from him over the past eleven years, Anakin had always been able to tell if Obi-Wan was lying just by looking in his eyes._

_Once again, Obi-Wan's eyes told him the truth._

_Obi-Wan loved him._

_Despite his best efforts, Anakin could stop the smile that spread across his lips. He hugged Obi-Wan to him tightly, his face pressed against the other man's throat and finally allowed himself to react to the fact that Obi-Wan was safe and back with him._

_He peppered kisses against Obi-Wan's neck, the kisses salty from his own tears. Obi-Wan's hands, meanwhile, were ghosting along his sides, tracing patterns that made Anakin shiver. As Anakin began to move his lips along Obi-Wan's throat up to his jaw, briefly nuzzling the underside before jumping his lips over the beard to the smooth flesh above. Obi-Wan twisted his head, initiating the second kiss._

Anakin shook his head, banishing the memories as best he could. Fond as the memory had always been, Anakin couldn't risk being sentimental then. He had to concentrate if he was going to kill Grievous. Because he wouldn't have Obi-Wan to watch his back. Leaning back in his seat, Anakin exhaled loudly, doing what he could to center himself. He had to be fully in control because if he let his anger take over there was a chance that Grievous would get away.

While normally Anakin would have found the beeping from the transmitter to be utterly annoying, but that day it was what he focused on. Anakin timed his breathing with the transmitter's signal. While it was still frustrating, it gave him something to focus on.

"_Are you sure about this?" Obi-Wan murmured, cupping Anakin's face between his palms. "Completely sure, Anakin?"_

_Anakin didn't even hesitate before nodding his head. "I'm sure."_

_For all the times Anakin had teased Obi-Wan that the beard made him look old, in that moment Obi-Wan looked younger than he could ever remember. In that moment all of his cares seemed to have faded away leaving him worry-free for the first time Anakin could ever recall. It takes Anakin a moment to realize that it is Obi-Wan's wide, unhindered smile that makes him look so carefree then. For as long as Anakin had known him, Obi-Wan had always been the one taking care of things._

_Taking a step back, Anakin held Obi-Wan's gaze as he stripped off the single tunic he'd been wearing that night. Then, with only a brief second of hesitation, he unfastened the drawstring on his loose trousers and let them fall to the ground. He became slightly uneasy when Obi-Wan only stared at him. Anakin feared the other man was having second thoughts._

_Until Obi-Wan took a half-step forward and unfastened his own trousers._

_The two of them had seen each other naked many times over the years, but it shocked Anakin just how different it felt knowing what was to come. Even though he still had a padawan braid, it was almost as though he and Obi-Wan were on equal terms for the first time._

There was an increase in the frequency of the transmitter told Anakin that they were getting close to the particular sinkhole that Grievous was hiding in. Or at least the one where Obi-Wan's ship was. Given Utapau's terrain, even if Grievous was no longer in the same spot, it wouldn't be very difficult to track the cyborg general down. Anakin would follow Grievous to the far reaches of the galaxy and into uncharted space if it meant avenging Obi-Wan.

* * *

"You will leave your ship with us and return home," Obi-Wan murmured, his eyes fixed on the smuggler seated on the barstool next to him. 

"I will leave my ship with you and return home," the Corellian smuggler echoed.

"You will forget that you ever owned a ship called the Millennium Falcon."

"I will forget that I ever owned a ship called the Millennium Falcon."

Confident that there would be no trouble, Obi-Wan ordered another drink for the former smuggler then left the bar. He met Cody outside who, like him, was dressed in civilian clothes. While there were clone troopers stationed all about the spaceport, they had decided it was best that Cody be disguised as much as possible. A worn scarf covered the bulk of his features so that his identity was masked enough to pass a casual inspection.

"We have a ship, Cody," Obi-Wan informed the clone, not pausing as he strode towards the hanger where he'd been told the Millennium Falcon was docked. "We need to get to Utapau before Anakin gets himself killed."

"You mean to help General Skywalker even though he has abandoned the Jedi?" Cody asked, genuinely perplexed.

"Something happened while we were on Utapau," Obi-Wan insisted, his eyes never wavering from the path before them. "I will not believe that Anakin gave into the Dark Side so easily."

It was something that Obi-Wan had to believe. He would surely lose his mind if it was proven that Anakin had willingly chosen to side with Sidious, a man responsible for the death of so many Jedi including Obi-Wan's own fallen Master. Anakin had always been just as eager to destroy the Sith as he had.

"Palpatine must have played on Anakin's weakness," Obi-Wan rationalized, nodding his head briefly.

_Kneeling in the center of the bed, Obi-Wan and Anakin faced each other as they gently explored one another's bodies with their fingertips, lips and tongues. Every so often their bodies would brush, causing both to shiver. Obi-Wan was surprised that he could even notice the shivers over the constant trembling of their bodies._

_Obi-Wan lifted his right hand to cup Anakin's cheek, drawing the younger man's lips towards his own. Without even being aware of it at first, Obi-Wan's left hand moved to grip Anakin's hip, his thumb lightly stroking the ridge where hip met torso. Then both of Anakin's hands were framing his cheeks. _

_Both men gasped when their erections brushed together. Pale blue-grey eyes met startling blue ones as Obi-Wan and Anakin stared at each other, panting. Very slowly, Obi-Wan's left hand followed the line of Anakin's hip to his groin, cupping his balls briefly before gliding his palm over the heated shaft. He slid his hand up and down a few times before closing his fingers its girth._

_The unintelligible sounds that spilled from Anakin's lips made Obi-Wan smile. It was so rare that he saw the younger man lose control like that. Still grinning, Obi-Wan leaned in to capture Anakin's lips once again. Only to gasp into Anakin's mouth when a hand wrapped around his own cock._

_It was Anakin who drew away first, keeping a hold of Obi-Wan's erection as he leaned back onto the rather narrow mattress. Anakin's rather firm grip left Obi-Wan with no choice but to follow, settling himself between Anakin's spread legs._

_Obi-Wan gasped as Anakin's hips arched up. Both of their hands fell away then, allowing them to thrust against one another without worrying about hands getting in the way. Delicious as the friction was it was not quite enough so Obi-Wan wiggled his hands between their bodies once again, wrapping his fingers around both their shafts so that when they thrust they filled the same tight place. Until Obi-Wan's hips slipped back a bit too far and when he brought his hips forward the tip of his cock followed the curve of Anakin's balls down to that sensitive patch of skin before his hole. _

_Anakin cried out, his entire body stiffening as a sudden surge of precum spilled from his cockhead. While Obi-Wan struggled to get his own breathing under control, Anakin lay in a rather wanton sprawl, gasping for breath._

"_Plea... please!" Anakin moaned, his thighs falling open further. "Obi-Wan, please. No more teasing."_

_Anakin's body was flushed with perspiration, chest heaving, and his bangs plastered to his forehead. Obi-Wan couldn't recall ever seeing such an intoxicating sight and it was all he could do to concentrate enough to call vial of ointment towards him with the Force. Obi-Wan hadn't planned for something like this and the only thing he could think of to use as a lubricant was the ointment that had been given to him to heal the injuries he'd received on Jabiim and Riflor that were too old for bacta to mend._

_Obi-Wan toyed with the outer edges of Anakin's hole at first, giving the younger man a chance to pull away. Obi-Wan was not so far lost to his passion that he'd do anything Anakin didn't truly want. The thrust of Anakin's hips told him what he needed and he slipped his index finger past the tight ring of muscles and into a clenching suction. Very slowly and very thoroughly, Obi-Wan stretched Anakin with first one then two and finally three fingers until the blonde was whimpering and mewling with restrained need._

_Finally, Obi-Wan could take it no longer and he removed his fingers, reaching once again for the vial so that he could coat his cock with the stuff. Leaning forward on his right elbow, Obi-Wan guided his shaft towards Anakin's hole with his left hand. Their eyes never wavered and when Obi-Wan's cockhead breached those tight muscles they both cried out._

_It was almost like being swallowed into each other's minds. Their bond had always been rather strong, even by master/padawan standards, but in that moment it was as though a floodgate had opened and they slipped in and out of each other's consciousness with each breath. Even in their minds the pledges of love and devotion they exchanged were breathless, their bodies moving in a rhythm that came from many years of fighting side by side._

_Anakin was the first to climax, reaching his only a few thrusts before Obi-Wan. He held Anakin's gaze for a few rather endless seconds before slumping into the younger man's arms. Obi-Wan hugged his sides, fingertips gliding over sweat-dampened skin, as Anakin's arms came around to hold him. The two men lay panting in a heap, Anakin's semen squishing between them. Uncomfortable as it would be later, neither of them had any plans to move in the immediate future._

_At the moment Obi-Wan was far too relaxed to worry about the ramifications of what they'd just done. It didn't matter. Their bond was humming with love and contentment, and filled Obi-Wan with a sense of peace he hadn't felt in very many years. If ever._

"I know that Anakin would turn to the Dark Side unless he had no other options," Obi-Wan insisted, clutching at that one certainty with everything in him.

It was all that he had.

* * *

Anakin knew that it was only his imagination that was allowing him to feel a flicker along his bond with Obi-Wan. It was his own desperation that was creating the sensation because he knew that Obi-Wan was still dead. Breathing in deeply, Anakin pushed those feelings away, banishing them to the deepest recesses of his mind for the time being. Anakin needed every bit of his concentration then if he was going to stand a chance of defeating Grievous and avenging his fallen lover. 

"I love you, Obi-Wan," Anakin whispered as he guided his ship towards the small docking bay on one of the lower levels of the sinkhole. "No matter what happens."

* * *

The Millennium Falcon was just leaving Corellia's atmosphere when Obi-Wan found his breath stolen from him as his bond with Anakin was severed. Seating in the co-pilot's seat, Obi-Wan hunched over so that his head touched the console, gasping for breath. It had been so long since he'd been without that bond that it felt as though a chunk of his very being had been hollowed out when it was severed.

"Anakin, no…." Obi-Wan moaned, squeezing his eyes shut tight against the pain of it.

"Boss? You all right?" Cody asked, his voice tinged with worry.

His body still bowed forward, Obi-Wan nodded his head. "Get us to Utapau. We need to be there now."

Stealing himself, Obi-Wan rose to his feet and sluggishly made his way towards the lounge further back in the ship. He slumped onto one of the benches, breathing deeply in hopes of centering himself. He had to find a way of function cut off from their bond.

"I love you, Anakin," Obi-Wan whispered as he composed himself to begin meditating. "No matter what happens."


	9. Part IX

Standing at the edge of the docking bay, Anakin stared up towards the higher levels of the sinkhole where Grievous was holed up. He was all for rushing in and killing that monstrosity, but that hadn't worked in the past. More than once Grievous had evaded them, disappearing into the inky blackness of space just when it seemed he and Obi-Wan were about to defeat him. Anakin wasn't going to allow that to happen again, not when Grievous had Obi-Wan's lightsaber.

So in order to ensure he defeated Grievous this time it meant planning and lying low while he did that. Anakin had spent thirteen years in Obi-Wan's company and knew how to sit back and plan confrontations even if he often chose to ignore those lessons. He had sent Artoo away in the starfighter, instructing the astromech droid to pilot the ship to the next sinkhole and await further instructions. It was likely that Obi-Wan had used the same tactic upon his arrival on Utapau, but Anakin had a feeling that he was expected. Cyborg and Separatist though he was, Grievous knew full well who it was he'd killed and what the consequences of it would be.

The Hero with No Fear would avenge the Negotiator's death.

Skywalker would ensure that Kenobi's murderers were held accountable.

Anakin would destroy those who had taken Obi-Wan from him.

_It surprised Anakin that he was the first to wake up as it was normally Obi-Wan threatening him from bed each morning. Taking advantage in the roll reversal, he stared at Obi-Wan from across the pillow, marveling at how much younger his lover appeared while he slept. A smile ghosted across Anakin's lips as he realized that Obi-Wan and he were actually lovers._

_Moving very carefully so as not to wake the older man, Anakin snuggled closer so that his nose brushed against Obi-Wan's. Anakin stayed like that for several long minutes, content to simply breathe the same air as Obi-Wan. It was the most at peace Anakin could remember feeling in a very long time. Not simply since Obi-Wan had gone missing, but more relaxed than he had been since long before the war had begun; since before Padmé had reentered his life even._

_It didn't matter in the least to Anakin that what they had done the previous night was expressly forbidden by the Jedi Code. Masters and padawans were not supposed to have relationships beyond the realm of mentor/apprentice and friendship. Anakin had long suspected that friendship was only tolerated because it was inevitable when two beings spent so much time in each other's company._

_He must have been fidgeting without realizing it because soon Obi-Wan was scrunching his nose up and moving about as though he were on the edge of waking up. All at once Anakin was suddenly fearful of what was to come. Deep in the pit of his stomach he feared that Obi-Wan would attempt to explain away or deny what had happened between them the night before and that was something Anakin knew he couldn't take._

"_You're projecting again," Obi-Wan yawned, still not opening his eyes. "And quite incorrectly, I might add."_

"_Obi-Wan?"_

_Blinking his eyes open, Obi-Wan regarded Anakin with a half-lidded gaze. "I have no intention of denying anything, Anakin. What happened last night was something we both consented to and I don't regret it."_

_Too relieved to find his voice, Anakin merely curled himself against Obi-Wan, tucking his head beneath the older man's chin. A smile tugged at his lips as Obi-Wan's arms wound themselves more securely about his middle, holding him tight. In that moment, Anakin would have been content to remain hidden away in that room, on that bed, and under those blankets for the foreseeable future._

Anakin had already watched the security footage of Obi-Wan's fight with Grievous, studying the fight in detail to ensure that he was as prepared as possible when he finally faced the durasteel monstrosity that had killed his lover. Anakin meant to do everything possible to ensure that Grievous met his end on Utapau, even if it took his own life to do so.

At his hip, Anakin could hear his comlink beeping as someone, most likely Artoo trying to forward a message from Sidious, attempted to contact him. When it began beeping again only a few minutes later, Anakin snatched it off his belt and threw it into a deep crevice. He was secretly delighted when he heard it plop into the water far below.

* * *

Obi-Wan cursed when Anakin failed to respond on his comlink. It had taken far too long for his liking to get close enough to receive a signal from Anakin's communicator, but with their bond severed it seemed the only way to get in contact with him. Regardless of whether Anakin was a Sith now, Obi-Wan still couldn't allow him to face Grievous unprepared. He wanted Anakin to survive.

Calming himself, Obi-Wan opened another connection, this time contacting Artoo in hopes that the droid would be able to get in touch with Anakin. Anakin needed to know that he was alive if for no other reason than to curb the younger man's anger. If Artoo got the message to Anakin in time he might even be able to prevent his lover from confronting Grievous.

Finding the droid's frequency, Obi-Wan tried contacting R2-D2, relieved when he received a response from the rebellious little astromech. "R2-D2… Artoo, this is Obi-Wan Kenobi. I need you to record this message, Artoo, and retransmit it to Anakin…. Stay away from Grievous, Anakin. I'm alive and I'm on my way to Utapau, but please stay away from him. I want you alive and safe…. I love you, Anakin. No matter what you've done. It doesn't matter to me, just please keep yourself safe."

Obi-Wan cut the transmission and leaned back in his seat, exhaling deeply as he brought a hand up to cup his jaw. He wasn't sure when Anakin would receive the message, but hoped that it would be in time to keep the younger man from placing himself in harm's way. Reckless as Anakin was, though, it would be a close thing to keep him in check long enough for Obi-Wan to get to him.

Returning once more to the cockpit, Obi-Wan slumped into the co-pilot's seat. "How long until we get to Utapau?"

"A few more hours at least," Cody responded, glancing over briefly.

"It will have to be soon enough," Obi-Wan sighed, scrubbing his hand over his mouth.

_Obi-Wan sat next to a fountain in one of the many gardens in the Temple, listening to the calming sound of trickling water. It was soothing. After everything that had happened, Obi-Wan needed the chance to meditate. Between what had happened with Ventress and the new turn his relationship with Anakin, Obi-Wan felt incredibly out of sorts. He knew that he shouldn't have allowed last night to happen, but he couldn't have stopped it even if he'd wanted to. It was as simple as the fact that he loved Anakin and the night before he'd simply been too tired to push aside the emotions._

_Now he had to find a way to prevent the Council from discovering what had become of his and Anakin's relationship. It would only draw unneeded questions that Obi-Wan wasn't prepared to answer. Nor was he ready to risk the Council separating them once Anakin was granted knighthood._

"_Require much meditation you will to find peace with recent events," Yoda announced as he toddled towards Obi-Wan. "Yet proven you have strength and dedication to the Jedi ways."_

_Obi-Wan inclined his head briefly to the aged Master, relaxing his posture somewhat._

"_Speak with you I would of your padawan," Yoda said without any preamble. "Concerned I am for young Skywalker. Unsettled he was by your disappearance. Feared we all did that fall to the Dark Side young Skywalker would."_

"_Anakin is stronger than any of you give him credit for," Obi-Wan said quite shortly. "He would have mourned my death, yes, but ultimately he would have done his duty to the Jedi Order and the Republic."_

Before he'd watched the HoloNet reports about the fall of the Republic, Obi-Wan had fully believed that Anakin would remain true to the Jedi Order no matter what. Anakin had always been overly emotional for a Jedi, true enough, but Obi-Wan had never seen that as a hindrance where his lover was concerned. It was those emotions that had always given Anakin his strength even if it had taken Anakin a while to realize it himself. There had been many times when Anakin was still a young padawan that he'd been reprimanded by his instructors for being far too prone to giving into his emotions which had always upset Anakin.

Even now Obi-Wan could recall how absolutely crestfallen Anakin had looked the first time he'd been told that he would never be a proper Jedi because he was too competitive. It had taken place barely a week after their return from Coruscant after Qui-Gon's death and the two of them were still getting used to one another. Obi-Wan had felt hopelessly inadequate, not sure what to do to comfort the boy. Kneeling down in front of Anakin, he'd only meant to pat his snuffling apprentice on the shoulder, but a moment later he'd found himself with his arms full. Anakin's arms tight around his shoulders, Obi-Wan had done the only thing he could do and return the embrace.

"_I promise I'll be better," Anakin mumbled against his neck. "I promise I'll make you and Master Qui-Gon proud."_

Obi-Wan couldn't recall if he'd said anything in return, but had hugged Anakin to him in the middle of the training room. Obi-Wan couldn't remember there ever being that kind of affection between him and Qui-Gon, his own master having been equally awkward Obi-Wan himself when he was younger.

"I'll be in the back," Obi-Wan informed Cody as he rose from the co-pilot seat. "Let me know when we reach Utapau's atmosphere."

Knowing that he would have to be far more centered before they arrived on Utapau, Obi-Wan retreated to the small living quarters at the back of the ship. There were two separate quarters for the crew, Obi-Wan disappearing into the first to meditate. He hoped to not only calm himself, but to also find some way to break past the walls Anakin had set up between them. Even though he trust Artoo to get in touch with Anakin as soon as possible, the chance remained that it would take too long for the droid to make Anakin listen to sense. His lover was nothing if not stubborn.

"_Decree on you the level of Master the Council does," Yoda said as Obi-Wan rose to leave the garden._

_Obi-Wan was caught off guard by Yoda's statement given his own outrage only a short time before. Anger was very unbecoming of a Jedi, especially one on the Jedi Council. Obi-Wan knew that Yoda, or the rest of the Council, wouldn't be offering him the position if they'd known what he and Anakin had done the night before. In fact they probably would have him expelled from the Order for taking such liberties with his padawan. That he loved Anakin wouldn't matter in the least._

"_Surely the Council can think of a far better candidate for the position," Obi-Wan finally managed to choke out. "There are far more worthy Jedi than I."_

_The aging Jedi merely chuckled and leaned forward on his gimmer stick. "A worthy candidate you are. Agreed on this the Council has. Await only your answer we do."_

"_Can I take some time to think about it?"_

_Yoda inclined his head and Obi-Wan continued his retreat from the garden. The earlier calm he'd managed to find had faded as soon as Yoda had interrupted him. He could also see the reasoning behind the Council's decision to make him a Master, the one they wished him to keep hidden. For all their talk, the Jedi Council was a highly political entity._

_What better way to put the Chosen One in his place than to continually place barriers between him and his closest friend. Obi-Wan couldn't help but wonder if the Council suspected something untoward about their relationship._

Hovering on the edges of his consciousness, Obi-Wan was aware of Cody's presence. The clone had left the cockpit which meant they had reached Utapau. The trip had taken far less time than Obi-Wan had thought it would. He had hoped he would have more time to prepare for their arrival on Utapau. Obi-Wan still had no idea what was going to happen when he saw Anakin. He only hoped that the right words would come.

* * *

Though his blood sang with the desire to murder the thing that had stolen his life from him, for the first time he could remember, Anakin felt patient. Eager as he was to see Grievous die he knew that it was better to wait rather than simply charge in and hope for the best. Such rash actions had already cost him his right arm. So instead of charging in to face his opponent, Anakin hovered in the shadows as he awaited the perfect opportunity to strike.

Moving silently through the shadows, Anakin crept closer to where Grievous paced in front of a communication console where an image of Sidious hovered above the holopad. He couldn't quite make out what was being said, but the fact that Sidious had contacted Grievous was troubling. Anakin no longer trusted Sidious as steadfastly as he once had. As Palpatine, Anakin never would have doubted the man. The only person he would have trusted more than Palpatine was Obi-Wan. Now the only person Anakin trusted was Obi-Wan.

"… extremely vigilant. Things are not progressing exactly as I like them and I want you to keep me informed of what's happening on Utapau."

"As you will it, Lord Sidious."

Anakin managed to catch the very end of the conversation and did nothing to reassure him in the least. His new master was keeping something from him which made Anakin incredibly uneasy. Anakin couldn't help but wonder what else Sidious was keeping from him in order to ensure his own ends.

_Palpatine lifted the still-steaming cup to his lips to take a brief sip of tea. "I trust that the Jedi Council gave you the appropriate commendations for your role in General Kenobi's rescue."_

"_I didn't do it for them," Anakin said, crossing his arms over his chest in a gesture he'd picked up from spending too much time with Obi-Wan. "I did it because my Master's life was in danger. That woman was planning on destroying him then making him a present for Count Dooku."_

"_My most sincere apologies, dear boy," Palpatine murmured, inclining his head slightly. "I know how you care for your Master."_

_Anakin pursed his lips, doing his utmost to hide his emotions from the politician. As much as he trusted Palpatine, ultimately the man was still a politician and Anakin didn't feel entirely comfortable around politicians. At times even his own wife made him feel equally uneasy. Anakin wasn't even sure he'd be able to look her in the eye after the night he'd spent in Obi-Wan's bed._

"_Obi-Wan is my best friend. I couldn't just leave him to die," Anakin sighed as he leaned back in his chair._

"_And rightly so. You are a very passionate young man, Anakin, and the restraint expected of a Jedi must be very difficult for you to endure," the aging Chancellor sympathized before taking another sip of his tea._

"_I don't endure anything," Anakin insisted, rising suddenly to his feet. "I am a Jedi because I choose to be. I may not always agree with their Code, but I believe in what they stand for. I want peace. For myself and those that I care about."_

Unable to contain himself any longer, Anakin snatched his lightsaber from his belt. He'd had it ignited before he took a step forward, the air around him crackling with anger. Just as he was about to swipe at Grievous' unprotected back, the cyborg whirled around, halting the blow with a lightsaber of his own.

Obi-Wan's lightsaber.

"Recognize this?" Grievous taunted before he was overtaken by a bout of wet, hacking coughs. "I took great pleasure in relieving that Jedi of his lightsaber."

All of Anakin's planning turned out to be for nothing at that point and he attacked without conscious thought of his actions. He fought with an instinct honed over thirteen years of training and three years of war. Grievous might have been trained by Dooku, but Anakin was a Jedi and had the Force to aid his movements. In the end his skill would be greater than the cyborg no matter what advantages brute strength offered Grievous.

"_The Jedi Council will punish you for acting without their approval," Palpatine said casually as Anakin stalked towards the exit. "They're can't control you and that is a dangerous thing for a Chosen One. Have you not told me time and again how they don't trust you? Why should you put your trust in them when they would just as soon have left you in slavery on Tatooine."_

"_Obi-Wan trusts me and that is enough for me."_

"_And when the Council orders you to separate sides of the galaxy?" Palpatine mused aloud, arching an eyebrow. "General Kenobi is nothing if not a dedicated following of the Council. He would abandon you if it came to a choice between you and the Jedi Council."_

"_You are not helping your case, Chancellor," Anakin hissed as he turned once again to the exit. "Now, if you will excuse me, I have my trials to prepare for."_

For all of his skill, though, Anakin was still a human who'd slept very little since learning of his lover's death. So while he was able to land a few glancing blows to Grievous' durasteel exoskeleton, he received an equal amount in return.

Spinning on his right leg to avoid a blow, Anakin lost his footing as he stepped down on a bit of debris. Going down on one knee, he was then knocked aside by one of Grievous' empty hands, landing hard on his right elbow. Hard enough to jolt the circuits in his prosthetic hand and send his lightsaber tumbling from his suddenly lax grip. Even as he extended his hand to call the weapon back to his with a Force-aided tug, Anakin could sense the downward thrust being aimed at him. He had noticed it too late, though, and knew that he wouldn't be able to roll away in time.

He was rather surprised when he was shoved out of the way by another body. Anakin didn't have time to see who his saviour was, his attention focused on retrieving his lightsaber to take advantage of the opportunity his rescuer had given him.

So it was a shock when he heard Obi-Wan's pained cry along with Grievous' mechanical chuckle.


	10. Part X

Hurrying down the gangway before it had even fully lowered, Obi-Wan used Anakin's Force signature as a beacon as he sprinted through the docking bay. They had arrived too late and Anakin was already confronting Grievous. Obi-Wan had been desperately hoping to prevent just that. Anakin was prone to letting his guard down when he was angry and even without their bond he could feel the anger radiating from the younger man the closer he got.

The turbolift seemed to take an eternity even though it only went up half a dozen levels. Obi-Wan paced its confines, lightsaber clutched compulsively in his fist. He had to get there in time. It didn't matter if he was Anakin or Vader, Obi-Wan still loved him and didn't want him hurt. No matter what, he was still Anakin. Deep down he was still Anakin and that was all that really mattered.

Obi-Wan bolted out of the turbolift just in time to see Anakin knocked to the ground. Speeding his steps with the aid of the Force, Obi-Wan rushed across the space that separated him from Anakin. He could feel his lightsaber clutched tightly in his hand and even though it would have been far easier to simply block the blow Grievous was aiming towards Anakin, Obi-Wan shoved his lover bodily out of the way only to feel a searing pain in his side. Obi-Wan barely managed to lift his own lightsaber to block a second strike, holding the hilt in a two-handed grip, straining against the crackling energy of their crossed blades.

A familiar blue blade joined the mix, distracting Grievous slightly. Just enough. Twisting his lightsaber about, Obi-Wan managed to angle blade so that it struck through the durasteel ribs and into the gutsack they protected. Grievous staggered backwards, vainly attempting to hug his intestines into his durasteel exoskeleton as he let out a series of wet, hacking coughs.

Through his increasingly fading vision, Obi-Wan watched as Anakin finally ended Grievous' already too long existence. When Anakin turned towards him, Obi-Wan saw a flash of the man he loved. His Anakin.

_From a balcony above one of the many gardens located on the Temple grounds, Obi-Wan watched as Anakin helped a few of the newer younglings with their katas. Unlike the Masters who were in charge of their training, Anakin didn't admonish them for any missteps. Instead he would correct them with a smile that didn't waver._

_As he watched his newly knighted lover, Obi-Wan knew the time would come when Anakin would take a padawan of his own. Obi-Wan himself would likely be pressed into taking another one at some point. There were so few Jedi left in the galaxy that the Order couldn't afford for him to remain without a student for long. And as much as he tried to avoid thinking about it, Obi-Wan dreaded the day that happened._

_Anakin must have sensed him watching because he glanced up towards the balcony, his smile widening when he caught sight of Obi-Wan. Inclining his head in return, Obi-Wan faded back into the shadows. He had a meeting with Mace and he didn't think the older Jedi Master would appreciate him being late because he was spying on his lover._

_It was a useless desire, but Obi-Wan longed for the day when he had Anakin would no longer have to hide their relationship. He knew that it hurt Anakin each time they had to pull away when someone was near. Truth be told, it hurt Obi-Wan just as much._

As his vision darkened, Obi-Wan focused on Anakin rushing towards him. The panic in his wide blue eyes was genuine and Obi-Wan did his best to smile even as unconsciousness tugged at his senses.

_Obi-Wan!_

Obi-Wan relaxed entirely as their bond flooded open once again. It was still his Anakin.

* * *

It seemed almost slow motion that he reached Obi-Wan's side, dropping to his knees as soon as he was close enough. 

_Obi-Wan! _Anakin screamed as he threw down all the shields that kept Obi-Wan's consciousness from his own.

Reaching out through the Force, Anakin tried to determine the extent of his lover's injuries even as he sought equal reassurance with his hands. The only physical injuries he could find were the bruises from an apparently real fall over the edge of a ravine and the lacerated burn created by one of Grievous' lightsabers. Through the Force Anakin was able to tell just how utterly exhausted Obi-Wan was.

"You're alive," Anakin moaned as he drew Obi-Wan's upper body onto his lap. He continued to murmur those two words over and again as he peppered his lover's face with kisses. When he reached Obi-Wan's mouth, Anakin couldn't refrain from pressing his lips to those achingly familiar ones. They were dry and slightly chapped from prolonged exposure to recycled air, but at the moment Anakin only cared that it was Obi-Wan he held in his arms.

"Sir, we should take the general to the medibay."

Clutching Obi-Wan tighter, Anakin nodded his head. He panicked when a pair of hands appeared before him, attempting to take Obi-Wan from him, and he immediately lashed out with the Force, sending the figure across the room. Only at the last moment did he realize that it was Cody who'd offered his assistance and stopped him from hitting the wall.

"My apologies, Cody," Anakin apologized as he staggered carefully to his feet, Obi-Wan held securely against his chest. "I didn't realize it was you."

The clone inclined his head briefly, but noticeably kept his distance from Anakin. At the moment, though, Cody wasn't important. Anakin would find the time later to properly thank the clone for his role in returning Obi-Wan to him. Once he was certain that Obi-Wan would be all right.

"Your medical ward, where is it?" Anakin demanded of one of the Utapauns hovering nearby.

"This way, General Skywalker," the tall slender being murmured, turning back towards the recesses of the cavern. "General Kenobi shall have the best care we can provide."

Anakin refrained from threatening the frail looking being as he had done many other times in the past when Obi-Wan was injured. His former master had a penchant for finding the worst of trouble where none usually existed.

_Anakin stood with the tip of his lightsaber hovering just below the chin of ruling prince of Cularin, his lips drawn back in a savage smile. "You will give us the medicines that we need."_

_The wide-eyed prince swallowed compulsively, glancing about for support. "I have no idea what you're talking about."_

"_You know who I am, correct?"_

"_Jedi Knight Skywalker."_

"_If you know who I am then you must know who he is," Anakin said solemnly, motioning his head back to where Obi-Wan lay on a couch, sweating and convulsing as the result of a drug that had been slipped into his meal the night before. "And you know that I will do whatever I need to in order to ensure his well being."_

_Prince Zenae seemed to regain his composure then, standing up straighter. "These are my lands, Jedi. I will not be ruled by you."_

"_Either you give me the medicines I need or your sister takes over rule of this planet," Anakin sneered, his eyes narrowing as he glared at the smaller man. "And I suggest that you make your decision soon because my patience will not hold out much longer."_

_Prince Zenae squeaked in a rather unmanly way and nodded briefly at his aide. "Give it to him."_

_Anakin kept his blade at the prince's throat until he heard Obi-Wan's breathing begin to even out and at the same time Obi-Wan's Force signature began to strengthen. Only when he was certain that it wasn't some type of trick did he disengage his lightsaber._

"_Try something like that again and I will not hesitate to kill you," Anakin warned as he hurried over to the couch where Obi-Wan lay. Crouching down next to his lover's head, he was there just in time to see Obi-Wan's eyes begin to flutter open. He smiled fondly at the older man, stroking his fingers through Obi-Wan's hair. "Welcome back, Master. You had me worried."_

"_Nothing that hasn't happened in the past," Obi-Wan murmured around a yawn. "Or will happen in the future, I'm sure."_

_Bowing his head, Anakin let his forehead rest against Obi-Wan's. "Please don't make too much of a habit it. One day I might not be there in time."_

Standing outside the bacta tank, Anakin kept his eyes fixed on Obi-Wan as he floated in the thick bacta fluid. He had assurances from the healers that Obi-Wan would recover fully from his injuries, but Anakin was still uneasy. Suspended in the thick liquid, Obi-Wan appeared frighteningly fragile. He had been stripped entirely and there was an array of electrodes stuck into specific points on his body, a breathing tube in his mouth and nose, and all of his injuries cleaned and exposed.

It had taken a great force of will for Anakin to give up Obi-Wan to the healers when they had first arrived in the medical ward. Even though he'd known that the healers would do nothing to harm Obi-Wan, Anakin had been fearful of the worst. Everything had happened so quickly that Anakin was still unable to wrap his mind around it. He had seen Obi-Wan die. Over and again he had watched the HoloNet reports showing his lover's murder. There was a still-healing burn on Obi-Wan's chest that proved the recording's image to be accurate. But somehow Obi-Wan had survived. He'd survived and had once again managed to save Anakin from himself.

"What happened, Cody?" Anakin asked as he sensed the clone's approach. His eyes, though, never strayed from Obi-Wan. "The last I heard Obi-Wan's body was being brought back to Coruscant. He was dead. I felt our bond sever. It felt as though my own heart had been ripped out of my chest…."

"The order was given for General Kenobi to be subdued and a drug to be administered that would render him in a state similar to stasis," Cody said, his voice emotionless and clinical.

Even as Anakin turned his head towards Cody, his left hand unconsciously moved to touch the plexisteel tube of the bacta tank as though through that touch he could keep Obi-Wan with him. "You were given the order? The battalion Obi-Wan commanded?"

"I was given the orders, yes," the clone confirmed.

"I want to see this order," Anakin demanded, his body positively vibrating with the knowledge that Obi-Wan had been betrayed by those he entrusted with his life.

It had always been Obi-Wan who was an advocate for the treating the clones as though they were separate individuals and not laboratory creations. Obi-Wan who had given Alpha the task of naming all the newly engineered clones on Kamino so that they would have some sense of identity. And even though Anakin had teased him for it on occasion, he knew that Obi-Wan truly did view Cody, Alpha, and a few of the other clones as friends; the rest as comrades in arms. Anakin couldn't help but feel enraged knowing that it was those same clones who had nearly killed his lover.

The image that Anakin saw on Cody's wrist communicators once again threw everything around him into chaos. Robed and cowled, Anakin had no difficulty recognizing the figure that hovered in miniature above Cody's right wrist. Palpatine. Sidious. A man that Anakin had trusted implicitly and who he now learned had betrayed him in the worst possible way.

"I want to see the security footage," Anakin ordered, his eyes boring into Cody's once the message ended. "I want to know who shot Obi-Wan."

"There is no need. It was me," Cody admitted, folding his hands behind his back. "I was the one given the order and I carried it out."

Cody didn't react when Anakin drew out his lightsaber and ignited it right below his chin. Anakin wanted to rage at the man who he had trusted to keep Obi-Wan safe. It would never have even occurred to Anakin that Cody would ever do anything to harm Obi-Wan.

"Give me a reason why I shouldn't kill you on the spot for this?" Anakin ground out, his gaze narrowing so that all he saw was Cody.

"Because like me, you follow Lord Sidious' commands."

Moaning, Anakin dropped into a crouch, lightsaber clattering from his fingers. He brought his hands up to hold his head, fingers buried in his hair. Anakin wished that he could deny Cody's words. The truth was that he had believed Sidious' lies. Anakin had laid waste to the Jedi Order on Sidious' command and in the end it had all been for nothing. Obi-Wan hadn't been dead. It had been all been a ruse set up by a man that Anakin had once trusted completely.

"I killed the younglings," Anakin gasped, squeezing his eyes shut tight. He breathed in deeply through his nose to calm his stomach which was threatening to dispel the meager ration of energy bars he'd eaten to keep himself functioning. "I killed them all…."

If he'd had the strength to do so, Anakin would have fled. He had lived up to every fear the Jedi Council had had concerning him. He had turned out to be just as dangerous as they'd said he'd had the potential for when he was a boy. And he'd done it all without even trying.

"For what it's worth, General Kenobi came after you even knowing what you'd done," Cody murmured through the haze that was seeping into Anakin's consciousness. "He didn't believe that you were completely lost to the Dark Side."

Which was only another dagger digging into his heart.

_

* * *

Obi-Wan fingered the end of the braid that rested against Anakin's chest. He could still remember a time when part of his own padawan braid had made up the end of Anakin's. It seemed like a lifetime ago that the blonde and copper hair had mixed together to give Anakin the beginnings of his braid back on Naboo. Now it was time to cut it off. _

"_I almost didn't think this day would ever come," Anakin murmured as he wrapped his hand around Obi-Wan's._

"_Master Qui-Gon knew better than any of us what you were capable of," Obi-Wan said just as quietly._

"_Please don't tell me that you're going to get all sentimental."_

_Rolling his eyes, Obi-Wan swatted at Anakin with his free hand. "You'd better behave or I'll loose my grip and cut off your ear, insolent boy. Now behave and hand me the knife._

Obi-Wan came back to awareness very slowly. Having been in the same position more than once, it didn't take him long to figure out that he was suspended in bacta fluid. What took a little longer was remember what had led to his current stay in the tank. When it did Obi-Wan's eyes shot open and he scanned through the murky fluid in hopes of catching sight of Anakin. He bobbed up and down a few more times before he was being propelled upwards. On the way up he saw Anakin, crouched on the floor, his entire body trembling.

_Anakin._

Almost as soon as he was pulled from the bacta tank, Obi-Wan was injected with a mild sedative while the medical droids examined him to ensure the bacta fluid had done its job. They then removed the various tubes and wires from his body and began to dry him off. As he was being manhandled about, Obi-Wan caught sight of a very welcome figure hovering in the background.

"Anakin," he murmured, dismissing the medical droids with a wave of his hand. He sat himself up cross-legged on the examination bed and held a hand out towards his lover. "Come here, Anakin."

Still Anakin hovered in the distance, looking everywhere but at Obi-Wan himself.

"Anakin, please," Obi-Wan insisted, his voice still light. "I'd go over to you but I'm quite certain I'd end up wobbling most of the way. So can you please save me some embarrassment and just come here. Please?"

_Please, Anakin._

"Master, you don't—"

"You haven't called me that for years, Anakin. Please don't start now. I love you. No matter what you've done."

There were tears glittering on Anakin's cheeks as he began to stagger towards Obi-Wan. Holding out both of his arms, Obi-Wan wound his arms around the slender boy as soon as he was close enough. He held Anakin tight, shifting back so that he could draw Anakin up onto his lap. The boy went willingly, clinging to Obi-Wan as he began to sob into his shoulder. He held onto Anakin tightly, murmuring nonsense against his skin while he allowed the Force to surround them both and wash away the darkness he could feel clouding Anakin's soul.

_Just let it all go, Anakin. Let it all go and come back to me._


	11. Part XI

It was a long while before Anakin's sobs gave way to quiet sniffles. Through it all, Obi-Wan held tight to him, rubbing his cheek against Anakin's forehead and murmuring soothing nonsense to calm him. One of the medical droids had draped a warm blanket over his bare shoulders before leaving and Obi-Wan wrapped the ends around Anakin, rocking him slightly.

"Calm down, love," Obi-Wan whispered into Anakin's hair. "I need you coherent if we're going to remain among the living."

Anakin's arms tightened around his waist. "'M not letting you go again."

"Hush now, Anakin, I'm not going anywhere," Obi-Wan tried to assure the trembling man huddled against him. With a bit of shifting, he managed to enfold Anakin's tear damp cheeks in his hands and coaxed the younger man into lifting his head. "I need you to calm down, Anakin. Utapau isn't as safe as either of us would like it to be so I can't have you falling apart on me."

Anakin's eyes remained squeezed tightly shut, his breath coming in ragged pants. Slowly, though, he began to calm, the tension in his body relaxing marginally. Obi-Wan lightly stroked the pads of his thumbs along Anakin's flushed cheeks and leaned forward to touch his forehead to the younger man's. Anakin wasn't talking much yet and that worried Obi-Wan. It was never good when Anakin internalized things too much. Quite the contrary. Anakin felt things in an all consuming way. Love, anger, friendship—all were felt with the exact same intensity. As was betrayal. As completely as Anakin loved those he considered his friends that was how completely he felt it when those same people betrayed him.

"I cannot erase what has happened, Anakin, but I can do whatever is in my power to make it right," Obi-Wan said with as much force as he could muster while keeping his voice light. "I will not leave you, now or ever."

There was so much that Anakin wanted to say, so much that he needed to apologize for, but each time he even thought of opening his mouth another sob welled up in his throat and his struggle to swallow it down each time took all of his concentration. It was all chaos inside of him, light and dark swirling about inside of him, and Anakin could no longer tell which way was up; which way would take him to safety or which way would destroy him. All that he had was Obi-Wan's arms around him and the wetness from the drying bacta fluids seeping into his clothes.

"I will not leave you, now or ever."

* * *

Moaning, Anakin pressed his lips to Obi-Wan's if only to mingle his breath with his beloved's. "He told me that you were dead, but that he knew a way to bring you back. In that moment I didn't care about anything but saving you. Not even Padmé or our child. I only wanted you to be alive."

Anakin would have kept talking except Obi-Wan's lips smashed against his then, silencing him. He clung to Obi-Wan desperately then, hands sliding up to clutch at his shoulders. Anakin all but climbed into Obi-Wan's lap then, frustrated that he couldn't feel Obi-Wan's flesh against his own. When he felt Obi-Wan's bare hands slip under the back of his tunic, Anakin nearly sobbed with relief. Those rough calluses were so familiar, so comforting.

_His every muscle ached, strained beyond endurance. Time and again he stumbled, unable to keep his footing for more than a few steps. He had to get back to the camp. That was the one thought running through Anakin's mind. The entire scouting party he'd gone out with was destroyed, fallen prey to an ambush set by Grievous' army. He had to get back to the camp and warn the others. They needed to be mobilized, ready._

"_Obi-Wan! Obi-Wan! Master!" Anakin screamed as he passed their sentries. "Obi-Wan!"_

_When he stumbled again, he was caught around the waist from behind before he could fall. The clone held him steady while Anakin regained his footing, half-supporting him as they continued on towards the camp. Once he had the breath for it, Anakin began calling for Obi-Wan._

"_Anakin!"_

_Wiggling his way out of the arms that supported him, Anakin scrambled towards the sound of Obi-Wan's voice. He practically slumped when he saw the older man appear through the foliage, but kept to his feet as he sprinted forward._

_Obi-Wan's arms enfolded him as soon as he was close enough, holding him upright as his knees threatened to give way once again. He was held securely against his lover's chest, the fingers of Obi-Wan's left hand slipped through a rip in his tunic, sliding against his bare skin. Anakin relaxed against him, sucking in huge lungfuls of air as he struggled to calm himself. He could keep Obi-Wan and the rest of the battalion safe. He knew Grievous' location and could move their own men in time to prevent an ambush._

"_Grievous is in sector Z Alpha," Anakin gasped against Obi-Wan's shoulder. "We have to move now before they find our camp."_

_After giving orders for the camp to be dismantled, Obi-Wan led Anakin back towards their tent. Now that the adrenaline had left his system, Anakin couldn't prevent the limp that slowed his steps. He clung tightly to Obi-Wan's arm to keep his balance, speeding as fast as he was able. Their command tent was no larger than any of the other tents so it was up to them to do their own packing. It also gave them a few moments as there wasn't really any packing for them to do given Obi-Wan's fastidious habits. _

"_Sit," Obi-Wan ordered as he all but dumped Anakin onto his cot. "I'll get us packed and ready to go. Do you need anything from the medikit?"_

_As soon as Obi-Wan passed close enough, Anakin latched onto his arm. "Slow down, Obi-Wan. Just hold still for a minute."_

_Obi-Wan knelt down in front of Anakin, his hands working methodically to search out any wounds. In only a few moments Anakin was stripped to the waist, Obi-Wan's fingers gliding over his bare skin. And worried as he was about what was going on, the rough calluses on Obi-Wan's fingers were familiar and comforting. They were as distinctive as the hilt of Obi-Wan's lightsaber. Anakin knew his lover's hands intimately—had had countless fantasies about them in his teens. For so long Obi-Wan's hands had been the only part of his master's body that he'd seen. The only part of him he'd been able to touch. Now he could touch all of him and Anakin feared the day when Obi-Wan would be taken from him permanently._

Obi-Wan's hands on his face were so warm. He leaned into that touch, breathing deeply through his nose to inhale Obi-Wan's familiar scent. A scent which was tinged with something else; a clinical smell of antiseptic and bacta.

"Anakin? Are you back with me?"

Anakin leaned forward, pressing himself fully against Obi-Wan. As he tried to clutch at Obi-Wan's tunic, Anakin realized for the first time that the older man had no shirt on. It was Obi-Wan's bare skin beneath his fingers. It was something he had feared would never happen again. Something that he wasn't entirely sure was happening again.

"Obi-Wan…." Anakin moaned into his lover's shoulder. He shifted himself still closer, burrowing himself against Obi-Wan's chest. "I'm so sorry. Please don't hate me. You were dead and I didn't know what to do. I only wanted you to be alive again."

"I could never hate you," Obi-Wan murmured against his temple. "But I worry for you, Anakin. I fear what will happen when I do pass into the Force."

Anakin squeezed him tightly as he was able, as though the embrace would bind Obi-Wan to him forever. "No. You cannot die. I won't let it happen."

"If it is the will of the Force even you can't stop it," Obi-Wan whispered, sinking his fingers into Anakin's hair.

"I won't lose you, Obi-Wan. I can't."

"And you won't so long as it is in my power to prevent it."

* * *

Obi-Wan was certain he'd have bruises in the shape of Anakin's arms about his middle. The younger man was squeezing him tightly, but in that moment Obi-Wan didn't care. He only wanted Anakin to be well in both mind and body. The chaos that currently abounded in Anakin's mind was not lost on Obi-Wan. With only a nudge along their bond he could feel the full force of that chaos. The darkness that was Palpatine's influence warred with Anakin's innate goodness. No matter what he had done, Obi-Wan knew that Anakin was still the selfless little boy he'd met on Tatooine. No amount of darkness could fully smother that part of Anakin.

Breathing deeply, Obi-Wan relaxed his muscles and slid his arms further up Anakin's back so that he was touching the ultimate amount of bare skin. It was a type of meditation; only instead of encompassing him alone he enfolded Anakin in the tranquility as well. It was something he had not done in many years when he was first teaching Anakin how to meditate properly. Through Obi-Wan the light of the Force seeped into both of them, joining them in ways far more intimate than anything physical.

It joined them closely enough that Obi-Wan could feel the darkness swirling inside of Anakin. Whatever foulness Sidious had corrupted Anakin with was sunk deep into the crevasses of him. Even with all of the mental wiggling and Force manipulations, Obi-Wan couldn't reach all of the darkness. It had seeped so far into Anakin that Obi-Wan feared for the younger man. At the moment Anakin's mind was far too fragile to even consider confronting Sidious.

"_Anakin,_ _please don't force the issue," Obi-Wan sighed as he slumped onto the bed rather unceremoniously. "This is beyond our control. You forget that we ultimately answer to higher powers."_

"_But Palpatine is my friend," Anakin insisted, remaining where he was leaning against the wall next to the 'fresher._

"_Which is why it grieves me to be the one delivering this order."_

_Anakin snorted as he pushed himself away from the wall, slowly making his way towards the bed. "You don't even like Palpatine."_

"_My mistrust in the Chancellor has nothing to do with this," Obi-Wan corrected, looping a finger into the waist of Anakin's sleep pants and drawing him down onto the bed. "It angers me that the Council shows such little regard for you that they insisted upon this course of action. There are many ways to gain the necessary surveillance without resorting to forcing you to betray a friend."_

_Stretching out alongside Obi-Wan, Anakin hooked a thigh over his lover's hip. "You don't think they suspect anything, do you? That they're separating us because they know that we are… whatever we are?"_

"_If they had, we would know it," Obi-Wan assured him as he turned his body into Anakin's. "Mace wouldn't keep it quiet. The entire Council would know it."_

"_He could just be trying to protect you."_

_Chuckling quietly, Obi-Wan rolled over so that he was lying half on top of Anakin. "You forget how nervous you make Mace. If he thought for one moment you were corrupting me he'd report you to the Council. Then you would be expelled from the Order, and, like a dutiful, devoted lover, I would follow. It would all be horribly romantic like one of those wretched Holonovels."_

_Anakin cocked his head slightly, arching an eyebrow. "And just how do you know what is in one of those wretched Holonovels?"_

"_I found the one you had stuffed in the sofa cushions."_

_The next instant found Obi-Wan on his back with an armful of smirking blonde. There was a great deal of wriggling and twisting and several quick pinches to his side that made Obi-Wan twitch and squirm about. He managed a few well-aimed pokes himself before he once again managed to twist Anakin under him._

As Anakin began to lean more fully into him, Obi-Wan longed for something to rest again. It was putting a great deal of strain on hi lower back, but he couldn't find it in himself to move as Anakin was finally calm. There was no doubt in his mind that Anakin's transformation into Darth Vader had been an act of desperation. Its residue still clung to Anakin even as the younger man began to slip into a healing trance.

Obi-Wan waited for Anakin to slip deeper into the healing sleep before he began to ease his way out from under the younger man. He made sure that they were not out of physical contact as he laid Anakin down on the platform, taking up an all too familiar position at its head. There was a slight chill now that he and Anakin were no longer sharing body heat and wrapped the blanket more securely about himself. Clothes would have been preferable, but Obi-Wan could find no sign of his clothing.

"What happened on Coruscant?" Obi-Wan murmured aloud as he called a chair over to him with a wave of his hand. Easing himself down onto it, he slid his fingers between the flesh digits of Anakin's left hand. "How could you have fallen so quickly?"

_

* * *

Anakin felt almost detached as he dueled with Obi-Wan across a fiery landscape. From Obi-Wan's features alone he could tell that this was no training session. The playful smirk was completely absent from his lips and there was an emotion in those familiar blue-grey eyes that he couldn't quite decipher as it was one that had never been directed at him._

_Anakin began to realize that while Obi-Wan was using a form that was far more defensive than it was offensive, his own movements hinted at a desire to not merely disarm his lover, but to kill him._

"_No! Stop this! Please stop this!" Anakin screamed, desperately trying to disengage his lightsaber without success. Worse still, his lips didn't move as he shouted. The sound could be heard only in his own mind. _

"_It's over, Anakin. I have the high ground."_

"_You underestimate my power!"_

"_Don't try it," Obi-Wan pleaded, his voice desperate._

_But he jumped. He jumped and then Anakin could feel fire racing through his three remaining limbs before he plummeted to the charred ground._

Anakin woke with a start just as his body made contact with the heat-infused surface. The scream died on his lips and he immediately felt a pair of soothing hands on him, gentling him back down. He didn't fight the hands as much as he normally would have, recognizing Obi-Wan's touch.

"Lie still, love," Obi-Wan murmured, lips brushing against his forehead.

Contrary to Obi-Wan's words, Anakin rolled towards the sound of his lover's voice, sluggishly blinking his eyes open. The image was slightly burry at first, but he could easily make out his features. That desperate look from his dream was still present, the lines at the corners of Obi-Wan's eyes deep at that moment.

"How are you feeling?" Obi-Wan whispered as he slipped an arm behind Anakin's back to support him from rolling back.

"Like I'm underwater," Anakin sighed, blinking his eyes shut once again. "What happened?"

Obi-Wan smiled down at him fondly, his fingers brushing through the blonde's rumpled bangs. "There is no need for you to concern yourself with that at the moment. Rest. You'll feel better for it."

Even though he knew from experience that it was better to listen to Obi-Wan's advice, Anakin fought off sleep as best as he was able. Obi-Wan merely chuckled at the futile attempt, his fingers instead gliding down to brush Anakin's eyelids down.

"Obi-Wan…." Anakin yawned, arching his torso and twisting himself about slightly. "So sorry, Obi-Wan."

"Hush now," Obi-Wan chided gently. "We've been over this already. You have nothing to be sorry for. I only want you well."

Snuffling, Anakin fumbled with his left hand, blindly searching out Obi-Wan's fingers. Almost immediately Obi-Wan's fingers slipped between his, squeezing tightly. Despite his best efforts, Anakin began to relax into sleep. He didn't want to admit it, but he was utterly exhausted, barely having slept at all over the past week.

Obi-Wan's lips brushing against his forehead was the last thing Anakin was aware of before he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Sighing, Obi-Wan dropped into the co-pilots seat of the Millennium Falcon. He rubbed his right hand across his forehead before sliding it down to cup his jaw. His bond with Anakin was fully open so that he could sense when the younger man began to stir. Under no circumstances did he want Anakin waking up alone.

"How long until we reach Tatooine?" Obi-Wan asked Cody.

The clone glanced away from the controls briefly, meeting his gaze. "I'd say roughly another six hours. What happens then?"

"That, my friend, remains to be seen."


	12. Part XII

Tatooine was not a place Obi-Wan Kenobi remembered fondly. He was far too fair-skinned to be comfortable spending extended periods of time in desert climates. No matter what precautions he took he inevitably ended up with rather uncomfortable sunburns. He couldn't completely disregard Tatooine, though, as it had given him Anakin. Still, it was a place he had never wished to return to. It was a place that held a great deal of pain for his lover.

For nearly an entire month Obi-Wan had no clue about what had happened on Tatooine. He had known that Anakin had gone to see his mother, but not what had actually occurred while he was on the planet. Between the events on Geonosis, their recoveries, Anakin's trip to Naboo and the beginning of the war, Anakin's reason for being on Tatooine had been pushed into the background. It likely would have remained there, one of many forgotten things, had Obi-Wan not returned to their quarters earlier than expected on afternoon.

_The instant the door to their apartment slid open Obi-Wan could feel the anguish rolling off of Anakin. He was across the room in an instant, kneeling down next to Anakin who twisted about in the grips of a nightmare. Leaning an arm against the armrest, Obi-Wan slid the fingers of his free hand through Anakin's hair. Almost instantly Obi-Wan's mind was filled with that he would have rather not seen, Anakin unconsciously projecting his nightmare._

_Sitting back on his heels, Obi-Wan cupped a hand across his jaw as he stared down at Anakin's twitching form. He sent gentle pulses along his and Anakin's bond hoping to ease him into a more peaceful slumber. Yet despite the comforting thoughts he sent to the younger man, Obi-Wan's own mind was in turmoil. He berated himself for not having realizing sooner just how much pain his padawan was in. He had foolishly assumed that the disquiet that had surrounded Anakin for the past month had been because of his lost arm._

"_I never knew," Obi-Wan murmured as he rose rather unsteadily to his feet._

_Bowing his head, Obi-Wan strode towards the large window that overlooked Coruscant's busy traffic lanes. He cursed himself silently for not having realized sooner that Anakin's mother was dead and that he had killed the monsters responsible for her murder. His own predicaments on Geonosis aside, he should have immediately sensed Anakin's torment._

_Obi-Wan didn't know how long he stood there, but after a time he could feel Anakin beginning to stir. Pushing aside his own worries for the moment, Obi-Wan turned just as Anakin was climbing off the sofa. He smiled over at the younger man, hoping to set him at ease._

"_Your therapy went well?" Obi-Wan inquired as Anakin slowly made his way towards him. Though he gave no indication of it, Obi-Wan noticed how Anakin's right hand immediately clenched._

"_It's better," he admitted._

_The two stood in silence for several long minutes, neither of them speaking. At last Obi-Wan lifted his head, waiting until Anakin met his gaze before speaking._

"_If I had known the utter truth of your dreams I would have let you go to her."_

_Anakin sucked in a deep breath through his nose. "I know."_

To be back on Tatooine now after all that had happened filled Obi-Wan with unease. He did not wish to cause Anakin any further pain, but feared that it would be impossible. No matter where they went in the galaxy there would be no avoiding the pain that was to follow once Anakin became aware of the full import of what he'd done. Obi-Wan hadn't lied when he told Anakin that he didn't hate him, but at the same time he couldn't rationalize what his lover had done. He desperately wanted to understand what had happened and help Anakin, but on his own he couldn't do that. He needed Anakin conscious, he needed to understand what had happened. He also needed to get Anakin somewhere more secluded than an inn in the middle of Mos Eisley.

"There's a homestead just out beyond the Dune Sea," Cody said before taking a swallow of Jawa juice "The land around it is too eroded for any farming, but I'm told that the house itself is still in order. The owner is still down in the cantina if you wanted to talk to him."

Obi-Wan could only marvel at what Cody was able to accomplish in such a short amount of time. He would have had no qualms about leaving things in his hands except that, at the moment, discretion was necessary. And though he may not be a Jedi any longer he still possessed the talents of one. His only concern was leaving Anakin.

"If he wakes do what you can to keep him calm," Obi-Wan instructed as he donned the sturdy beige poncho popular among Tatooine's inhabitants. "I'll return as soon as I can."

Before leaving their rented room, Obi-Wan made his way back to the bed, sitting himself down next to Anakin. He stared down at his lover's slumbering form, his features relaxed for the moment. Concentrating briefly he infused the area around Anakin with peaceful energies in the hopes of keeping the younger man's dreams light.

"I will be back soon," Obi-Wan whispered, leaning forward to brush a kiss against his forehead near the scar that bisected his right eyebrow. "Be at peace, my love."

It took a supreme amount of effort for Obi-Wan to rise to his feet once again. Even with Cody there to watch over him, Obi-Wan felt uneasy about leaving Anakin. There was too much still in question. For the time being Anakin was calm, but if he once again gave into his fear it could all be for naught. He could still loose Anakin to the darkness that clung to the edges of him.

"Watch over him," Obi-Wan repeated as he palmed open the door to their room.

Casting a final glance over his shoulder at Anakin, Obi-Wan left his side for the first time since their reunion. It couldn't be helped, though. At the moment Anakin needed to be hidden away. Until he was able to protect himself from Sidious' manipulations he had to be kept sheltered for a time.

Uncertain, Obi-Wan wandered into the cantina below their room to search out the man with the ruined farm. The location Cody had described would suit their current needs perfectly. He could keep Anakin away from others as he helped his young lover focus his mind and turn away from the darkness Sidious had filled him with. So far out into the desert there would be very few beings to interfere with them and Cody would provide the necessary protection from Tusken raiders and any other dangerous creatures that could prove a nuisance to them.

"So I hear that you are interested in purchasing my land," the old farmer said as Obi-Wan slid in across from him. As a gesture of goodwill, Obi-Wan slid a mug of ale over to him. "If you don't mind my asking, what do you want with it? It's worthless."

"I need the homestead more than anything," Obi-Wan told him, taking a sip from his own drink. "A friend of mine is ill and has been ordered by the healers in our system to spend some time in seclusion in an arid atmosphere."

"You certainly won't find anything more arid than this," the old man chuckled, the weathered skin crinkling at the corners of his eyes. "Let's have another drink and then we'll talk price."

With a quick wave of his hand, Obi-Wan summoned the T'wilek barmaid. "We need another round."

_

* * *

The only thing he could hear was a loud, almost mechanical breathing. It was very slow and even, frightening in its regularity and in the way it would echo in his ears. As much as he didn't want to admit to it, Anakin knew that the breathing was his own. Even as his agitation increased the pace of his breathing remained the same. It was unnatural._

_His vision was tinged red with blood and through that haze he could see Obi-Wan striding towards him. There was an odd gait to his lover's walk and Anakin realized quite suddenly that he was hesitating. Obi-Wan had never hesitated before. And when Anakin tried to call out to him no sound passed his lips._

_Then Obi-Wan drew his lightsaber and Anakin was horrified to see that he ignited his own blade. There was no enemy that he could see and Anakin struggled to turn the glowing blade of his lightsaber away from Obi-Wan. The disembodied voice that spoke next sounded just as harsh as the rumbling breathing._

"_I've been waiting for you, Obi-Wan. We meet again at last. The circle is now complete. When I left you I was but the apprentice. Now I am the master."_

_The words could only have come from him. Obi-Wan had never had another apprentice and had decided long ago to never take another padawan. It had always been a joke between the two of them that Obi-Wan didn't have the energy to keep up with a new apprentice in his old age._

"_Only a master of evil, Darth," Obi-Wan said, his features impassive._

_Years of training together had given them insight into each other's fighting styles. It made it difficult to get a blow in. Anakin was grateful for it. He didn't want to be responsible for killing his lover. He loved Obi-Wan and would have willingly given his life for him. He couldn't kill Obi-Wan._

_The mechanical voice that wasn't his own continued to taunt Obi-Wan even in the midst of their battle. "Your powers are weak old man."_

"_You can't win, Darth. Destroy me and I will become more powerful than you could possibly imagine."_

"_You should not have come back," was the words that he spoke when all that he wanted to do was scream for Obi-Wan to run. If Obi-Wan wasn't there then he couldn't possibly hurt the other man._

_Obi-Wan glanced quickly to the left, his lips quirking briefly before he turned back to face him. The smug smile on Obi-Wan's face had him instantly worried. Things had a habit of dying when Obi-Wan smiled that way. Except, instead of going on the defensive, Obi-Wan merely straightened his shoulders and held his lightsaber up vertically in front of his body._

_Anakin screamed as his lightsaber unerringly swiped through Obi-Wan's body across his chest. Obi-Wan's physical body disappeared and both cloak and lightsaber tumbled to the ground in a heap. Anakin's own terrified screams were echoed by a second one which was much closer to his own voice than the mechanical one that had been speaking earlier._

"_NO!"_

Anakin jolts to awareness suddenly, his body arching off the ground as he barely manages to swallow a scream. Slumping back down, he scanned the area quickly with his eyes while he struggled to get his breathing under control. He could only sense one other person in the small room and that person wasn't Obi-Wan.

Moving sluggishly onto his hands and knees, Anakin lifted himself up so that he could see things better. He didn't know where his lightsaber was and he needed to be able to defend himself until Obi-Wan got back. He couldn't trust anyone else. Not even Cody because Cody had tried to kill Obi-Wan. He would have killed Obi-Wan if he hadn't been ordered to take the other man alive. He had to find Obi-Wan.

Anakin ended up tangled in the thin blanket that had been draped over him, tumbling onto the hard ground. He somehow managed to turn the fall into a roll and by the time his body stilled he ended up resting on his elbows. A pair of boots rested just before his face and Anakin immediately rolled onto his back in order to see the owner of the boots.

"Are you well, General?" Cody asked, squatting down so that he no longer towered quite so high over the blonde man.

"Cody," Anakin gasped as he more or less collapsed onto the ground, arms spread out on either side of his body and legs sprawled. It lasted for only a moment before he remembered what part the clone commander had played in recent events. With a movement quick as a thought, Anakin was on his feet and glancing about the interior of the room for Obi-Wan. "Where is General Kenobi? Where are we?"

His fingers itched for his lightsaber. Anakin didn't like this one bit. Obi-Wan wouldn't have left him; he'd promised. Anakin had to hold onto that because at the moment it was all that he had. He was responsible for destroying the democracy that he and so many other Jedi had fought and died for. He had murdered younglings who had never harmed a soul. Children that he had played with in the Temple gardens had been cut down by his lightsaber.

"Master Yoda was right," Anakin moaned, dropping suddenly to his knees. "Master Qui-Gon should have left me on Tatooine to rot in the slave quarters or die in a pod race. I never should have been brought to the Temple."

Bowing his body forward, Anakin pressed his face into the mud brick floor and screamed. He had destroyed everyone and everything to care about and if Obi-Wan hadn't been alive it would have ended so much worse. He would have been the monster from his nightmares. Even with Obi-Wan alive he still could have become that mechanical creature if they hadn't been reunited when they had.

A pair of arms slipped around him then and he was pulled onto Obi-Wan's lap. Anakin immediately wound himself around his lover, clinging to him tightly. Burrowing his face against Obi-Wan's throat, Anakin couldn't stop the sobs that choked his breath. All that he had ever wanted was to keep the people he loved safe. He had become a Jedi so that he could free his mother, but she had died because he was too far away to help her when she needed him. He had become a Sith so that he could bring Obi-Wan back to life and keep Padmé from dying, but in the end it had been for nothing. He had been manipulated by a man he had considered a friend. Sidious had used him for his own ends, using the ones Anakin loved most as leverage. And he had fallen for it. Each and every lie Sidious had told Anakin had believed without question.

"I would never hurt you, you know that right?" Anakin demanded, leaning back suddenly so that he could see Obi-Wan's face. "No matter what he said to me or what he wanted me to do I would never hurt you."

Anakin would have rambled longer, but Obi-Wan pressed a thumb over his lips, his hands holding Anakin's face. Anakin squeezed his eyes shut tight as he leaned into Obi-Wan's touch, immersing himself in the comfort Obi-Wan's mere presence offered. Focusing his senses on Obi-Wan, Anakin began to pattern his breathing on his lover's so that after a while he was breathing in time with Obi-Wan.

"You need to stay calm, Anakin," Obi-Wan murmured, leaning in to brush his lips against Anakin's forehead. "There are too many people about for you to loose control. Please just hold it together for a little bit longer. I'd really rather not have to sedate you for the time being."

Glancing about, Anakin realized for the first time the state of the room. What little furniture the room contained was in complete disarray. The table had been upended, and the two chairs were toppled about and on opposite sides of the room. The bedding was near the door and the filling of the pillow billowed about the floor.

"What's wrong with me?" Anakin moaned, escaping the other man's hold and returning to his face to its earlier position against Obi-Wan's throat.

"You've lost your focus," Obi-Wan said simply.

There was more to it than that, but for the moment Anakin could find the energy to press the issue. All that he wanted was for it to stop and for things to go back to how it had been before he'd given into Sidious and lived down to the lowest expectations the Jedi Council had ever had of him.

* * *

Obi-Wan had been about to have a drink with Radir Kanzik after the concluding the sale of the homestead when he felt Anakin awaken. Whatever hopes he'd had that Anakin would be calm were dashed when he felt the fear emanating from his lover. It was swirling around Anakin, seeming to swallow him whole. Quickly making his excuses, Obi-Wan hurried towards the stairs and up to their room.

When they had first arrived they had managed to obtain a more secluded room which gave them some privacy. Obi-Wan was glad for that now as he could hear the sounds of furniture being flung about the room before he was even halfway down the corridor. Cody met him at the door, the clone looking very uneasy as he hovered half in the room half in the hallway.

Nodding tensely at Cody, Obi-Wan stepped around him and immediately spotted Anakin curled forward on the floor. A moment later Obi-Wan was across the room and had Anakin gathered up in his arms. He was relieved when Anakin immediately began clinging to him. It meant that Anakin was aware enough to know that it was him. Obi-Wan could feel Anakin's lips moving against his throat, but not what the words themselves were. Until Anakin drew back, staring at him with exceptionally wide eyes.

"I would never hurt you, you know that right? No matter what he said to me or what he wanted me to do I would never hurt you."

Obi-wan leaned forward, touching his lips to Anakin's forehead. "You need to stay calm, Anakin. There are too many people about for you to loose control. Please just hold it together for a little bit longer. I'd really rather not have to sedate you for the time being."

"What's wrong with me?" Anakin moaned, escaping his hold and returning to his face to its earlier position against Obi-Wan's throat.

At first Obi-Wan didn't know how to answer that because he honestly didn't know what was wrong with Anakin. It was easy just to say that Anakin had fallen prey to the Dark Side of the Force, but that was not the answer. There were reasons why Anakin had fallen victim to Palpatine's lies except at the moment Obi-Wan didn't know what those reasons were. The state of the room, however, gave him some insight into what was going on.

"You've lost your focus."

What was not necessary to say was that he would help Anakin regain his focus. That would happen without question. Obi-Wan hugged Anakin to him tightly, hoping to keep him calm long enough for them to start out towards the Dune Sea. It would be safer to let Anakin fall apart once they were far away from the settlement because there would be no one there for Anakin to inadvertently hurt.

After a while, Anakin relaxed against him. Obi-Wan relaxed as well. Glancing over his shoulder at Cody, he nodded in response to the unasked question. They were leaving Mos Eisley as soon as possible to head to the homestead beyond the Dune Sea. Hiding from Sidious would be much easier out there. They couldn't relax their guard completely, but it would allow Obi-Wan to focus his attention on Anakin. Getting Anakin whole once again was his main concern. His only concern.


	13. Part XIII

**Part XIII**

Anakin rested his head between Obi-Wan's shoulder blades, his arms wrapped round the older man's middle. He had protested furiously, insisting that he was well enough to ride his own speeder bike, but he could now see the wisdom in his traveling with Obi-Wan. Only a short way out from Mos Eisley his head had begun feel fuzzy once again. From then on out he'd kept his head against Obi-Wan's back. Unfortunately it didn't help as much as he would have liked because it felt as though there was someone trying to bore down into his very thoughts. There wasn't any of the calm comfort that came from Obi-Wan's mind brushing against his own, it was far more intrusive. Painfully so. And as much as he tried to fight against it, that feeling only got worse.

"We're nearly there, Anakin," Obi-Wan called over his shoulder. "I think I can see it from here."

Poking his head up above the older man's shoulder, Anakin peered in the direction they were headed. Squinting against the bright sunlight, he could just make out the shape of a good-sized limestone structure with two spires on either side.

_He will never truly forgive you. No matter what you do he will always fear you. No one that turns to the Dark Side can ever fully return. There will always be a darkness in you that will slowly begin to infect him as well. Is that what you truly want? To destroy him just like you did the Order you'd both pledged your lives to? Because that is exactly what you will do. Everything that was good in him will become just as tainted as everything else you've ever touched._

The voice rang loudly in his ears, blocking out even the sounds of the speeder bikes. It wasn't any voice that he recognized. It sounded like Sidious' only a little different. Darker than even his voice.

_Your children will suffer if you are allowed near them._

Moaning, Anakin held even tighter to Obi-Wan. He would have burrowed his way entirely inside of Obi-Wan if it was at all possible. And while that wasn't possible, he sighed with relief when Obi-Wan slipped his fingers through his, squeezing his hand tightly. Anakin relaxed somewhat then, focusing instead on the comforting hum that seemed to warm him from inside.

"_The Council has insisted that we sever our training bond," Obi-Wan murmured as entered their apartment the last afternoon of their leave on Coruscant. "As I am no longer your master they do not feel that it is wise to maintain the bond."_

_Anakin looked up from his datapad, his eyes wide and fearful. "You didn't agree with them, did you?"_

_Crossing the room, Obi-Wan stood before the sofa in the middle of the common room, arms crossed over his chest. "I informed them that I would do what was in the best interest of the Jedi Order."_

"_Thank the Force," Anakin sighed, sinking back against the cushions._

"_Are you so certain that I agreed with them?"_

_The question only earned him a glare from his former padawan. "So you actually agree with the Council on this?"_

"_I never said that, young one," Obi-Wan contradicted, his lips twitching slightly ta the corners._

_Smirking, Anakin reached out and grabbed hold of Obi-Wan's hand, drawing him down onto the sofa as well. "So then what have you decided, my master? Are we going to do as the Council ordered or not?"_

Even though no words were being sent along their bond, Anakin absorbed the comfort Obi-Wan offered him. Close as it was to their destination, Anakin would have willingly dropped off into a deep sleep then. What he truly wanted was to wind himself around Obi-Wan, nothing between them and simply absorb the other man's presence. He couldn't, though, at least not then. Anakin wasn't fool enough to think that Sidious would just allow him to disappear. The Sith lord had put too much time and effort into luring him to the Dark Side to give up so quickly. And through it all he had been blissfully ignorant.

_He will never trust you again. How could he when you murdered younglings?_

Anakin wanted to cringe and pull away, but Obi-Wan's grip on his hand kept him in place. The fingers twined about his own weren't restrictive in any way, just gave him something to focus on. He needed to find some way to focus himself so that he could banish the dark energies that were clouding his mind.

For the life of him, Anakin could pinpoint the exact moment things within him had shifted to the Dark Side of the Force. Things had just started to spiral out of his control and before he knew it he was doing things that he never would have even contemplated without Sidious' urgings. And all of it so that he could save the life of the two people dearest to him.

"Padmé," Anakin said suddenly, leaning back slightly from where he rested against Obi-Wan's back. He had only whispered the word, but Obi-Wan must have sensed the sudden shift in his attention because the older man gave his hand a squeeze. It was the first time since he had left her apartments that she had even crossed his mind and Anakin wasn't sure whether that was a good thing or not. True, there was a valid reason why his attention had been so focused on Obi-Wan, but Padmé was carrying his child and should have at least warranted a spare thought or two. None of that, though.

For the past few days everything had been so out of control that Anakin was still struggling to get a grasp on what was happening around him. From the instant he had first thought that Obi-Wan was dead things had been piling up one on top of the other until Anakin didn't know how to climb out of it all.

* * *

Even after talking with the man down in the cantina, Obi-Wan hadn't been entirely too sure of what to think about the homestead he had purchased. Thankfully, news was slow enough to reach the Hutt dominated planet and it had taken very little effort in his part to convince the former farmer that Republic credits were an excellent form of currency. It would also cast no suspicion on the minds of anyone else who happened to be listening in on the conversation. From the outside, the homestead didn't appear very big, but Obi-Wan had spent enough time on desert planets to be aware that much of the building space would be underground in order to avoid the heat.

At the moment, though, the state of their temporary dwelling meant little to Obi-Wan. His main concern was Anakin and his lover's present state of mind. Something was decidedly off about the younger man, but Obi-Wan couldn't figure out what it was.

It was impossible for him to know, too, because he had never been so close to another Jedi who had fallen prey to the Dark Side and was now struggling out of that darkness. Anakin's emotions were so completely out of control that Obi-Wan didn't even know where to begin to help the younger man center himself. This was far beyond anything he had ever before encountered. Even with Anakin's always wild emotions, Obi-Wan felt entirely out of his depth.

_Sighing deeply, Obi-Wan pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. He wanted to be surprised. He wanted to be indignant. In the end what he felt more than anything was bemused. He had been Anakin's Master for the past twelve years and honestly wasn't the least surprised that the younger man had taken it upon himself to sneak into the Separatist camp on the other side of the valley. And since Anakin's knighting a month earlier, it had become even more difficult for him to control his former padawan's actions as he could no longer use the "I'm your master and you'll do as I say," reasoning._

_Instead he could only wait behind as Anakin once again thrust himself in harm's way. It was something that had always happened far too often for his taste. It didn't matter to Obi-Wan whether Anakin was the Chosen One or not, all that he wanted was what was best for the younger man. In his opinion that most certainly didn't include Anakin wandering off into enemy territory without anyone watching his back._

"_He'll be fine, General. He always is," Cody attempted to assure him as he passed near to where Obi-Wan was standing._

"_Just because Anakin will be fine doesn't mean I won't worry," Obi-Wan returned, his gaze never wavering from the valley spread out below them where Anakin was lurking about somewhere._

_If anything Obi-Wan worried more now. He couldn't help worrying about Anakin. It was an ingrained reaction after so many years of missions. More times than he cared to recall, Anakin would manage to find danger where none existed, leaving Obi-Wan fearful for the younger man's life. Anakin always managed to escape unharmed, but that didn't stop him from worrying._

As he brought the speeder bike to a stop alongside the homestead, Obi-Wan let his eyes travel over the surrounding landscape. It was just as barren as he remembered it being thirteen years ago. Only in that instant, though, Obi-Wan realized that thirteen years had passed since he had first met Anakin. Thirteen years since his own Master had been murdered by the Sith monstrosity, Darth Maul. Obi-Wan found it difficult to believe that he had been that long without Qui-Gon. For so many years Qui-Gon had been his one constancy, much as he was sure he'd been Anakin's. The main difference, though, was their ultimate relationship. While Obi-Wan would not deny that he had cared a great deal for his late Master, what he felt for Anakin was so much stronger. What he felt for Anakin filled him to his core and his loss would have filled Obi-Wan far more completely.

"We're here," Obi-Wan announced when Anakin made no move to unfold himself from the back of the speeder bike.

Anakin jerked suddenly, coming out of whatever trance he was in. "Sorry, Master."

Twisting his body around, Obi-Wan ducked his head so that he could meet Anakin's gaze. "That is not something you need to apologize for, Anakin. Before you apologize for anything else, you must first forgive yourself of any wrongdoings. Including the deaths of the younglings."

A shudder passed through Anakin's system at the mention of the younglings and Obi-Wan squeezed the hands that were still pressed tight to his stomach. He ran his hand along Anakin's arm, under the sleeve of his tunic, hoping to soothe him. Anakin relaxed against him somewhat, but not entirely. Given everything that Anakin had been through since Obi-Wan had left for Utapau, he didn't expect the younger man to recover immediately. If he did, Obi-Wan wouldn't have trusted Anakin's sincerity. Regardless of how much he loved the younger man, he wouldn't put the galaxy at risk for that love. Obi-Wan wasn't that selfish.

* * *

In all the years he'd fought under Generals Kenobi and Skywalker, Cody had never seen the younger Jedi appear so delicate. It was a word that he would have never thought of in context with the Jedi Order's most renowned members. They were strong, resilient, cunning, powerful, as well as countless other adjectives, but certainly not delicate. Yet there was no other word Cody could think of to describe General Skywalker at that moment.

The Hero With No Fear was quite literally clinging the Negotiator's arm as they made their way into the homestead.

Not entirely certain what to make of their current situation, Cody merely began unloading his speeder bike. As General Kenobi's had been burdened with a second passenger, it had fallen until Cody to carry the bulk of their supplies. He tried to be as unobtrusive as possible, not wanting to disturb them. For all that he had worked with them, Cody didn't quite understand the Jedi, least of all the two generals he spent the bulk of his time with. Those two were far unlike any other Jedi pair in both ability and action.

After bringing the water and foodstuffs into the small kitchen, Cody happened across one of the bedrooms where General Skywalker was curled up on the bed, General Kenobi seated next to him, lightly stroking his hair. Cody watched them for a moment before continuing on back towards the common room.

General Kenobi would figure it out in the end.

* * *

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Obi-Wan rose slowly to his feet. He desperately wanted to get in touch with Master Yoda, but given the state of the former Republic, he couldn't even be certain the ancient Jedi still lived. That meant figuring out on his own how best to help Anakin. And given his obvious failure in Anakin's teaching, Obi-Wan wasn't entirely convinced that he was the best person for the job. He was the one who had left Anakin vulnerable to Sidious' influence. He had never properly taught Anakin how to control his emotions and as a result nearly every Jedi in the galaxy was either dead or being hunted.

And while Obi-Wan couldn't regret the fact that he was alive, he had to wonder what would have happened were he truly dead. Would it have been possible for Padmé or their child to bring Anakin back from the darkness that consumed him.

_Anakin didn't have to say anything for Obi-Wan to know that something of note had happened while Anakin was returning Padmé to Naboo. For one thing, Anakin refused to meet his eyes when they spoke, and his body was tense as could be. It had nothing to do with the fight they'd had while chasing after Dooku because that had been resolved during the long hours spent together in the healer's ward._

"_This will be much easier if you just tell me what's bothering you," Obi-Wan sighed after two days of them dancing around one another. "We'll both feel better for it."_

"_I don't want to be expelled from the Order," Anakin burst out, his eyes flashing wide afterwards._

_Obi-Wan squeezed his eyes shut tight. "What have you done, Anakin?"_

_For a moment, Obi-Wan was sure that Anakin would balk and refuse to tell him. The boy was positively twitching, never a good sign. When things like that happened either Anakin was hiding something or was in the process of telling a lie. As the boy was not speaking at the moment, Obi-Wan could only assume that it was the former._

"_I married Padmé, Master," Anakin admitted after several minutes of silence._

_Obi-Wan's immediate reaction was to start yelling at the boy's sheer audacity. He tamped down on that reaction, though, because in the end it would have been useless. What was done was done and all that he could do was try his best to keep things from getting any worse._

"_Dare I ask whose idea this was?"_

_Anakin frowned, his brows furrowing deeply. "I'm not sure. I didn't go to Naboo with the intention of marrying her, but it happened. So now we're married and I don't know what that means for me. Will I be expelled from the Order?"_

Obi-Wan didn't regret keeping Anakin and Padmé's marriage from the Council. No good would have come from their knowing about it. Obi-Wan had been leery of his own relationship with Anakin when it turned physical given that the younger man was already married. They had been in the midst of a war, though, and any amount of comfort was a blessing in the middle of so much death and destruction.

After a while Obi-Wan had been able to forget that Anakin was married as they spent very little time on Coruscant. When they were on Coruscant they spent most of their time in the Temple and in each other's company.

His true shock had come when he'd discovered that Padmé was pregnant. It was one thing for Anakin and the Senator to be married in secret, but Obi-Wan hadn't been sure how they would deal with Anakin having a child. Given Anakin's substantial strength in the Force, the child was bound to be very powerful as well.

At the moment, though, Obi-Wan's main concern was Anakin. Anakin needed to be well enough so that he would not fall victim to Sidious' ploys a second time. Obi-Wan couldn't be sure that Anakin would not be drawn into the Sith Lord's plots a second time.

"I'm going to go scout the surrounding areas," Cody said, snapping Obi-Wan from his thoughts. "Make sure that there are no sand people or any other threats."

Nodding his head, Obi-Wan continued on towards the kitchen. He needed a good pot of tea in him and some time alone to think. This was the first quiet moment Obi-Wan had had since he'd left Coruscant what seemed like a lifetime ago. More than a lifetime perhaps. When he'd last seen Obi-Wan, the galaxy had been in turmoil, true enough, but they had been so very close to achieving peace after three long years of war. Democracy had still been in place and the Republic, if corrupt, had at least given a voice to the people. Now all that Obi-Wan could see was darkness that suffocated the entire galaxy.

Cup of tea in hand, Obi-Wan slumped into one of the chairs that surrounded a narrow dinner table. It was hardly a chair for relaxing, but it was solid and, most importantly, wasn't in motion. Obi-Wan leaned back in the chair, scrubbing a hand over his jaw. He hadn't shaved in a few days and there were the beginnings of a new beard scratching against his palm. Bearded, he was far too recognizable and would have to shave before long. Obi-Wan wasn't fool enough to think that they would be safe even in the deserts of Tatooine. Tatooine was safer than most systems, but if Sidious wanted Anakin badly enough, the Sith lord would figure out a way to find him.

Obi-Wan could only hope that by then Anakin would have recovered sufficiently from his ordeal. While Obi-Wan's own ordeal had been far from trivial, he had passed through most of it unconscious and relatively unharmed. Anakin was the one who'd been living it all and had been the most effected by it.

Obi-Wan drank his tea slowly, savouring the warmth that filled him with each mouthful. While it relaxed his body, Obi-Wan could find no respite from the thoughts that plagued him. It would take a lot more than tea to calm his mind. Setting the empty cup down in the sink, Obi-Wan made his way back towards the bedroom that he and Anakin would be sharing.

The blonde was still sleeping soundly, his features relaxed for once. Obi-Wan padded across the room silently, shedding his clothes as he went. With a brief wave of his hand, he shut the door firmly behind him, temporarily sealing them away from the world. By the time he reached the bed, Obi-Wan was naked and slipped silently between the sheets. Still asleep, Anakin immediately rolled towards him, curling himself around Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan sighed and relaxed against the sleep-warm body of his partner, allowing Anakin's mere presence to lull him to sleep.


	14. Part XIV

As Obi-Wan drifted slowly back to consciousness he realized that Anakin was still asleep. He could hear the younger man's slow, steady breathing falling almost completely in time with the beating of his heart. Obi-Wan also realized for the first time since their reunion that their hearts were still beating in time with one another. It was something that had come about following his rescue after the events on Jabiim. They had been meditating together, attempting to strengthen their bond, when Obi-Wan slowly became aware of the fact that their hearts were beating with the same rhythm. It hadn't been a conscious effort on either of their parts, but had instead come about through the will of the Force. No matter what had happened afterwards their hearts had continued to beat in harmony. Obi-Wan had taken great comfort from it then and even more following Anakin's seduction to the Dark Side. No matter what had happened he knew that Anakin was not completely lost and that there was still hope.

He was grateful that Anakin finally seemed to be at peace. After everything the younger man had gone through in the past few weeks, Anakin was undoubtedly stressed out and exhausted; a physical state that would wreak havoc on even the strongest of men. And Anakin was strong. Stronger than anyone else Obi-Wan knew. So he had confidence that in the end Anakin would be able to overcome the demons—both physical and emotional –that plagued him. Obi-Wan wouldn't stand for anything else.

Carefully rolling onto his side, Obi-Wan raised himself up on his elbow so that he could get a better look at the other man's face. He was relieved to see just how relaxed Anakin's features were. In that moment the deep creases between his eyes had faded and his mouth was slack. Anakin's lips were parted slightly, a small trail of drool puddling onto the pillow beneath his head. Unremarkable as the sight was, it made Obi-Wan's heart soar because he knew in that moment that it was truly Anakin lying before him and not Vader.

Moving slowly so as not to wake the other man, Obi-Wan lifted his right hand and gently brushed a few stray strands of hair from Anakin's face. The strands had been inching close to the blonde's nose and likely would have woken him before long. Obi-Wan wanted Anakin to sleep as long as possible, knowing that it would heal him more than anything else. Still, he couldn't resist allowing his fingers to ghost across Anakin's temple, feeling the heat Anakin radiated more than his actual flesh. Anakin didn't stir throughout. Emboldened, this time Obi-Wan slid his index finger along the scar that bisected Anakin's right eyebrow. As he touched the fading pink line of scar tissue Obi-Wan felt once again the terror he'd known when Anakin received that injury.

_Obi-Wan was across the room in an instant when he saw Anakin go down. They had been separated during the melee, the droids having overwhelmed them. Obi-Wan acted purely on instinct, slicing down droids without conscious thought, concerned only about reaching Anakin who was under fire and struggling to regain his footing._

_Deftly slicing through the limbs of the final droid that stood between him and Anakin, Obi-Wan rushed to his former Padawan's side, supporting him with an arm around his waist. Anakin clutched at the sleeve of his tunic, his right arm trembling as it held his lightsaber. He could still fight, though. Between the two of them they managed to dispose of the remainder of the droids with relative precision._

_Only when Obi-Wan was certain that there was no longer a threat in the area did he finally turn his full attention to the younger man. And gasped when he saw the damage done to his face._

"_Force, Anakin," Obi-Wan moaned, carefully turning Anakin's face to the left so that he could inspect his bloodied right cheek._

_The panic was rolling off him in waves and Obi-Wan knew why. The injury was very close to Anakin's right eye. Through all of the blood, Obi-Wan could see that his right eye was swollen shut, the area around the wound cracked and bruised. The damage was extensive and Obi-Wan couldn't tell at the moment whether the eye had been effected or not._

_The droid must have had a self-destruct or something. It blew up and one of the pieces hit me," Anakin managed to explain through clenched teeth. His left hand was gripping Obi-Wan's shoulder, the right just above his elbow._

"_We need to get you back to the camp so that one of the medics can have a look at you. I'm not sure if all the bleeding is because it's a head wound or if the damage is actually that serious." _

_Tilting Anakin's head down slightly, Obi-Wan pressed a soft kiss to his left temple where there was no wound._

"_Everything will be fine, I'm sure of it," he whispered in the blonde's ear then pulled back, offering a confident smile. "A few weeks and everything will be normal again."_

"_Or as normal as it gets out here."_

It had been a very tense week as they waited for the wounds to heal and the first of the bandages to come off. To be safe the medics had bandaged Anakin's eye as well as the effected area. The metal that had hit him had been flaming and they wanted to be sure that his retina hadn't been damaged. The scar was the only evidence that remained.

Obi-Wan became aware of Anakin twitching slightly in his sleep. It was his facial features, more than anything, that were the most active, a sure sign that Anakin was on the verge of waking up. Obi-Wan had watched just such a thing many times. It was something that had remained the same since Anakin's childhood.

Sure enough, a few minutes later, Anakin's eyes began to flicker open. They stared at each other for a long while, neither of them willing to break the silence. Obi-Wan was content with the silence, grateful just to have Anakin near him after so much uncertainty.

Noticing Anakin begin to tremble, Obi-Wan rolled them over so that he was lying on top of the Anakin, the younger man's thighs on either side of his hips. He pressed a kiss to the side of Anakin's jaw and simply enjoyed how close they were lying. After a few minutes of shifting about their limbs were entwined in such a way that it was difficult to tell that which arm or which leg belonged to whom. Obi-Wan would have been content to never move again.

* * *

Anakin sighed as he felt Obi-Wan's familiar weight pressing him into the mattress. He had never been one to be confined, but it was different when it was Obi-Wan. Anakin never felt confined by him, but instead protected. He always knew that he was safe when Obi-Wan was nearby. Because, no matter what happened or what he did, Obi-Wan always came for him.

"I was afraid to let myself hope that you'd be here," Anakin whispered, breaking the silence. "That you'd want to be anywhere near me."

Lifting himself up so that he could see Anakin's face, Obi-Wan touched their foreheads together lightly. "I won't abandon you, Anakin. You are far too important to me."

Anakin took great comfort in the words, knowing the truth in them. Obi-Wan was never one to offer trite comments just to give him comfort. He would only say the words if he absolutely meant them. Anakin found more comfort in that than anything else. Obi-Wan had said that he wouldn't leave him and Anakin new that he meant it. That he wouldn't be left alone to face Sidious.

Tilting his chin up, Anakin brushed his lips against Obi-Wan's in the briefest of kisses. It was soft and chaste, a simple moment for them to share each other's breath. The second kiss involved their lips parting slightly and Obi-Wan sucking Anakin's bottom lip between his teeth. Anakin couldn't stop himself from arching his hips upwards as a result of the suction. His hands, which had been resting on Obi-Wan's hips, tightened, holding him in place so that Anakin could find some much desired friction.

"Easy, Anakin," Obi-Wan murmured as he released the blonde's lips. "There is no need to rush anything."

Anakin's left hand slid up Obi-Wan's body to cup his cheek. "I just want this to be real. I'm scared that I'm going to wake up in a minute and this will have all been in my head. Either because I'm dreaming or because I've finally lost my mind. Half of the Council always thought that it would happen eventually and I've finally proven them right. I killed all of the younglings and all of the padawans and knights that happened to cross my path and I don't even know why any more."

Obi-Wan silenced him with a kiss, swallowing whatever words would have come next. Anakin was grateful for the interruption, his hand sliding back to twine through Obi-Wan's short hair while his mind forgot all of its earlier fears. Anakin wanted to believe that if he could just erase them from his mind than he wouldn't have existed in the first place. And in that moment there was only himself and Obi-Wan and that was just how Anakin wanted it to stay. Anakin didn't want to think about anything else. Not the Emperor or Padmé, not even what was going on in the next room. Right then nothing existed in the galaxy outside of him and Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan began to kiss a slow, leisurely trail along the side of Anakin's jaw. When he reached Anakin's ear, he sucked on the lobe for a minute then whispered, "I don't want you to think. Just focus on me and nothing else," into the shell of his ear.

Anakin's only response was a long exhale of breath and allowing his body to go slack. He trusted Obi-Wan completely. There was no doubt in his mind that Obi-Wan would take care of him. It was what the older man had been doing for him since he was nine years old. It had been very simple at first, a hug when he missed his mother, a hand ruffling through his hair when he did good work, soothing words when he woke from a nightmare, a fond smile when he'd done something to make Obi-Wan proud. There had been so many things over the years, thing that Anakin couldn't even remember, that had build the trust between the two of them and helped to make them into the most effective team in Jedi history. Because, unlike so many other teams, they were truly halves of a single complimentary whole.

All trains of thought left Anakin's mind then as Obi-Wan's lips returned to their earlier exploration.

* * *

Obi-Wan could tell the exact moment Anakin's body gave up all its earlier resistance. It wasn't when he felt the blonde's initial relaxation, or even the long sigh. It was when Anakin's head tilted downward just enough for their eyes to meet. Obi-Wan paused in the attention he was lavishing on the younger man's right nipple to press a kiss just past the middle of his chest, on the left side. Right over his heart. He held Anakin's gaze for several long seconds before returning to his earlier activities.

Obi-Wan's only concern right then was to make Anakin forget all of the darkness that had consumed him only a few short days ago. He wanted his Anakin back. The one that frustrated him, that irritated him, that he cared for and loved above all others.

So once he had pebbled Anakin's right nipple to his satisfaction, he laved a wet trail along his ribcage, tracing the contours of each rib as Anakin inhaled sharply. Before he had even reached the younger man's navel he had him turned into a quivering pile of nerves. He had Anakin so distracted that he wasn't able to think which was his goal. If Anakin could clear his head of everything….

Two years of being lovers had given Obi-Wan remarkable insight into all of Anakin's sensitive areas. Of all the lover he'd had since his teens, Anakin was the only one whose body he'd bothered to learn the map of. It was not frequency that had created that knowledge, but the desire to. From the moment he had met Anakin, the boy had stirred thing sin him no one else ever had. He had never known jealousy until Anakin, or fear or anger. Pride, too came, with Anakin. Before their meeting Obi-Wan had always kept such emotions at bay, banishing them into the Force. But for Anakin he allowed himself to experience it. More than anything else, from Anakin he knew love. It was the most sublime thing he had ever experienced and Obi-Wan could not understand why the Jedi Council sought to deny it so vehemently.

Each time he saw Anakin laid bare, not only of his clothes, but of his inhibitions as well, Obi-Wan willingly allowed himself to be consumed by the same passions that infused all of Anakin.

He bumped his nose against the edge of Anakin's navel as he laved wetly at the soft flesh beneath. Fit as he was, that one bit of flesh ever remained soft. It was Obi-Wan's favourite part of Anakin's body. There were many nights during the wars when he and Anakin had been too tired to do much more than collapse in a heap wherever they happened to be sleeping and simply lie in a tangle of limbs. Often times on those nights, Obi-Wan would find himself at some point with his head resting upon that soft dip of flesh.

And while Obi-Wan would have been content then to do just that, in that moment they were both in need of something more. So after spending far less time than he would have liked tormenting Anakin's lower belly, Obi-Wan moved on to the jutting piece of flesh that poked insistently at the side of his jaw. At first he simply enjoyed the novelty of being able to rub his bare cheek against Anakin's erect cock. Anakin seemed to appreciate the sensation as well, his hips bucking up from the mattress.

It seemed a lifetime ago that he had been able to enjoy the pleasures of Anakin's body when in fact barely more than a week had passed since Obi-Wan had left for Utapau. Yet in that time so much had changed. What hadn't was Anakin. Not where it mattered.

Taking pity on the boy, Obi-Wan slid his lips over the head of Anakin's cock, sucking on it briefly before closing his lips over it completely. It was a taste that Obi-Wan hadn't even realized he was craving until it was there once again upon his tongue. The very texture of the shaft against his tongue made him moan in delight. An act that had an equal effect on Anakin whose fingers immediately sunk into his hair, his entire body thrumming with pleasure. And glancing up at his young lover from under his eyelashes, Obi-Wan found his breath stolen by Anakin's beauty. In that moment, with all of his fears at least temporarily banished, Anakin was truly beautiful.

He felt a tremor pass through Anakin's body then. It was a momentary thing, but its effect remained on Anakin's features afterwards. What Obi-Wan saw, though, was not pleasure. It was fear.

"Anakin?" Obi-Wan murmured when the younger man squeezed his eyes shut tight. "Anakin, what's the matter?"

The only response he received was a low, terrified moan.

The sound hadn't even faded from his ears when Obi-Wan was crawling up Anakin's body, drawing him into his arms. A sob escaped Anakin's lips then and he clung tightly to Obi-Wan. His eyes remained closed tight, though, guarding against some frightful vision that only he could see.

"I'm here, Anakin."

"Obi-Wan, please…." Anakin moaned, the sound of his voice little more than a breathy whisper. "Make it stop."

Framing Anakin's face in his hands, Obi-Wan peppered his face with kisses before drawing him into a deep kiss. He could feel the darkness that was once again trying to invade Anakin's mind and cursed Sidious. Doing the only thing that he could think of, Obi-Wan attempted to combat that darkness with more peaceful sensations. He needed to banish the corruption that had been poured into Anakin during their time apart.

"Look at me," Obi-Wan whispered, touching his forehead to Anakin's. "Please, Anakin. Open your eyes and look at me."

It frightened him to see the brief flicker of gold in Anakin's usually bright blue eyes. Banishing that fear, Obi-Wan concentrated on surrounding him and Anakin with nothing but goodness and light. He could not allow Anakin to be lost to the Dark Side when he had already done so much to turn away from it.

"I am here with you now, Anakin, and I always will be. On that you have my word," Obi-Wan whispered, his eyes never straying from the younger man's. "But I need you to focus right now. Focus on me and push everything else away."

While their hearts still followed the same rhythm, it took several minutes for Anakin's panicked breathing to match his own. As the minutes ticked by, Obi-Wan could both feel and see it the fear began to fade from Anakin. For the moment, at least, Sidious was gone. Obi-Wan wasn't fool enough to believe that it was over for good, but he and the fear he created was gone just the same.

His breath escaping in a shuddering gasp, Anakin wound his arms and legs around Obi-Wan, pressing his body close. It felt as though Anakin was attempting to disappear inside of him. Obi-Wan allowed himself to be held close, shifting his body in such a way so that he was able to slide the fingers of his right hand along Anakin's side. He then lifted himself up, hoping to reach as much of Anakin's body as possible. It seemed to be calming Anakin somewhat.

"I love you, Anakin," Obi-Wan said quietly, his lips ghosting across the blonde's collar bone. "Never doubt that."

"I never have."

Their movements were very slow and very tender, fingers and lips barely touching one another, but soon enough their earlier passion began to return. Neither felt the need for play, their movements sure and confident from two years of experience. From two years of learning and knowing each other's bodies more completely than they knew their own. So when Obi-Wan slipped into Anakin's body a short while later, it felt like a coming home for both of them.

Their movements were slow and languid, each thrusting in counter with the other so that every time their hips met they felt it that much more. Obi-Wan felt every second of it and through their bond was able to experience everything that Anakin was as well. It was the most intense thing Obi-Wan could ever remember feeling.

And when his eyes caught Anakin's as he neared his climax, he could see all of his own emotions reflected in those impossibly blue eyes.

* * *

Anakin sunk his fingers into Obi-Wan's hair, guiding his lover's mouth down towards his own. His body was coiling tighter and tighter as Obi-Wan thrust into him, cockhead grazing his prostrate on ever few thrusts. All of his nerves felt alive and he rejoiced at the feel of it because it was only ever Obi-Wan that made him feel like that. Anakin's back arched when Obi-Wan reached between their bodies and wrapped his callused fingers around Anakin's erection. He felt himself spiraling even more and he moved his head about in search of Obi-Wan's eyes. He needed something to ground himself.

When he finally caught sight of those familiar blue grey eyes, Anakin found his center only seconds before he was sent spiraling again when he reached his climax. He was vaguely aware of Obi-Wan thrusting into him a few more times before the older man stilled and there was a sudden jet of warmth pulsing inside him.

The both of them lay in a panting heap, their bodies curled around one another. Obi-Wan's softening member remained within him, Anakin locking his legs around Obi-Wan's upper thighs to keep the man within him for as long as possible. He wanted that connection to last as long as possible.

Anakin relaxed into the mattress, sighing at the lazy kisses Obi-Wan pressed against his shoulder. In that moment, nothing else mattered in the galaxy. It could implode around them and so long as he and Obi-Wan remained together it wouldn't matter.

He would not allow anything to separate him and Obi-Wan again.


	15. Part XV

Anakin wasn't sure what woke him. He laid perfectly still, listening to the sounds in the house and trying to figure out just what it was that woke him. All that he could hear, though, was the sound of Obi-Wan breathing. He could have strained his senses and found out just what it was that had woken him, but Anakin didn't want to do that. He didn't want to risk the possibility of Sidious sensing him. Because Sidious wouldn't just let him go. Not after Anakin had sworn to serve him. The fact that Anakin's pledge to Obi-Wan had been made first would matter to the Sith Lord. All that would concern him would be getting his apprentice back.

That, ultimately, was what Anakin feared most. That a day would come when he would truly be Darth Vader. It had been grief that had created Vader. Grief over Obi-Wan's supposed death and the fear of what would come next. One day, though, Obi-Wan really would be dead. Whether it was a death in battle or from old age, a day would come when Obi-Wan was no longer with him and Anakin feared that day. Because if he fell a second time, Obi-Wan wouldn't be there to pull him back up.

_While he hadn't actively been hunting her, it would have been a lie for him to say that he didn't know she was in the same system that he and his lover were. It still caused a little thrill to run up his spine whenever he thought of Obi-Wan as his lover. It was something that he had never thought would happen. Many of the older padawans had always joked that Obi-Wan was a eunuch. When he was young and hadn't known the meaning of the word, Anakin had laughed with them. When he had discovered the meaning of that word, however, he became his master's greatest defender. It had never occurred to him that he would have actual proof of Obi-Wan's non-eunuch status._

_The only thing that mattered to him in that moment, though, was that he was standing before the woman who had very nearly taken Obi-Wan from him. His entire body was vibrating with the anger and fear he had been suppressing since Obi-Wan had first gone missing. He tried his best to remain calm, but as he remembered just what she had done to his beloved Obi-Wan his anger was once again fueled. As much as Obi-Wan had tried to protect him from it, Anakin had still been able to sense the older man's nightmares. The terror that they caused was able to leak through Obi-Wan's shields, giving Anakin only a small taste of what they contained. And what Anakin saw frightened him._

"_So you are the arrogant little boy who thought he could defeat my master," Ventress sneered, twirling her lightsaber about absently in her right hand. "How did that work for you?"_

_Anakin scowled, but didn't rise to the bait. That was what had happened with Dooku and had only resulted in the loss of his arm. The situation with Dooku had also not been as personal as the one with Ventress. For while Dooku had enabled the assassination attempts on Padmé, Ventress had nearly killed Obi-Wan. It was important that he not fail this time. He refused to give her the satisfaction._

"_You are nothing like I thought you would be, Skywalker," she taunted, attempting a different route. "They say that you are the greatest warrior in the galaxy, yet here you are, cowering before me like a little boy. You master must be so proud."_

_Anakin merely grinned at her and ignited his lightsaber. "He is."_

Obi-Wan stirred slightly and Anakin remained completely still, hoping that his lover would stay asleep longer. Obi-Wan had been expending so much energy taking care of him when Obi-Wan himself had been injured not that long ago. First by Cody's blaster and then the drugs that had left him in a state similar to death and then finally by Grievous' lightsaber; all of this happening in the span of a week. Yet Obi-Wan had been the one taking care of him when it should have been the other way around. Now that he was aware of it, though, Anakin was determined to change it. He would take care of Obi-Wan who was likely more exhausted as he was dealing with both his injuries and Anakin's unbalanced mental state.

Carefully extracting himself from Obi-Wan's arms, Anakin rolled out of the bed without waking his lover. He needed to meditate, to clear his head, and knew that he would do it better out in the open where he could feel the wind and the sun. Anakin preferred to meditate in the rain or in the fountain room at the Temple, but on Tatooine there was very little rain so the other elements would have to suffice.

Anakin pulled on his trousers before he left the bedroom, but otherwise remained undressed. He had spent the first nine years of his life on Tatooine and was much better suited to the desert climate. Unlike Obi-Wan, his skin burned only rarely, even under the twin suns of Tatooine.

It wasn't until he was standing out on the rocky outcrop that the homestead was built on that Anakin realized he hadn't seen Cody once. All thoughts of meditating left him then. It was only a short time ago that he would have trusted Cody implicitly. He had trusted him with Obi-Wan's life which was far more important to Anakin than his own. And he had repaid that trust by nearly killing Obi-Wan. Even if the shot had only been meant to stun him, it had resulted in Obi-Wan tumbling more than a hundred feet into a water-filled crater. Jedi or not, a fall like that could have killed him.

Anakin rushed back into the homestead, darting from one room to the next in search of the errant clone commander. Except that Cody wasn't there. In fact there was no sign that he had even been in the building.

Fearing for both his and Obi-Wan's safety, Anakin rushed back out of the homestead. Still dressed only in his trousers, Anakin hopped onto one of the speeder bikes and took off towards the Dune Sea. He wouldn't allow Cody to place Obi-Wan in further danger no matter what he had done for them in the past. Ultimately, it was Obi-Wan who was more important. His safety. Anakin would do whatever was necessary in order to ensure that Obi-Wan was kept safe.

* * *

Before he even opened his eyes, Obi-Wan knew that he was alone. There was nothing in particular that had woken him except perhaps rolling onto a cool section of the bed. Blinking his eyes open slowly, Obi-Wan scanned the room for any sign of Anakin even though he knew the younger man wasn't in the room. Reaching out through the Force he couldn't sense Anakin anywhere in the house. That instantly had Obi-Wan worried. There was no reason for Anakin to have wandered off.

Reluctantly climbing out of the far too comfortable bed, Obi-Wan pulled on his trousers and snagged his tunic up from the floor on the way out the door. He was yawning as he slipped the shirt over his head, his mouth still open wide when his face emerged from the fabric.

"That's not entirely Jedi-like, General," Cody chuckled as he came in from the kitchen.

Obi-Wan offered the clone a bemused smile as he straightened his clothes. "It has been some time since I was considered entirely Jedi-like. The Jedi are not meant to form such strong attachments to their padawans. They aren't mean to form attachments at all. Because then you might be willing to destroy the entire galaxy just to keep him safe."

Pursing his lips, Obi-Wan strode out of the homestead, hoping to get a better sense of where Anakin was. Something wasn't right. There was no need for Anakin to disappear so early in the morning. Anakin hated getting up early. From the time that he had first arrived at the Temple, Anakin would remain in bed until forced out by Obi-Wan to attend to his lessons. During the wars, Obi-Wan never forced the issue. Luxuries being so few, allowing Anakin a few more hours of sleep was the least he could do.

So the fact that Anakin had not only woken up, but had wandered off somewhere so early worried him.

"Have you seen Anakin about anywhere?" Obi-Wan when Cody followed him outside.

"Everything was quiet when I got back from scanning the borders of the property. I assumed that he was still sleeping."

Obi-Wan's left arm crossed over his chest, his right hand rising to his chin where his fingers moved automatically to stroke hair that was no longer there. The gesture was familiar, though, and Obi-Wan found that he was able to concentrate better that way. Even so, he had no idea where Anakin could have gone. There was absolutely nothing around them except sand and dunes. Of course, Obi-Wan had stopped trying to understand Anakin's actions a long time ago.

_He should have known that Anakin was up to something when he'd woken to find the younger man absent from their tent. No good ever came from Anakin being awake before him. What he hadn't expected was the seething rage that had overwhelmed their bond a short while ago. There was only one thing Obi-Wan could think of that would enrage his padawan so and that was Asajj Ventress. He'd hoped that his mind had simply been playing tricks on him when he felt her presence the day before. Sadly, that didn't seem to be the case. Anakin's anger was far too genuine. Obi-Wan only hoped that he could get to his lover before he did something foolish. Of course, with Anakin, that was usually a futile effort._

_Lightsaber in hand, Obi-Wan rushed through the corridors of the military compound. It was times like this that he was grateful for the strength of the bond that he shared with Anakin. It took very little effort on his part to be able to track the younger man through the twisting hallways that made up the abandoned military compound._

_Obi-Wan skid to a halt as he entered one of the storage bunkers. He had half expected the sight that greeted him, but was still unprepared for the sight of Anakin and Asajj Ventress fighting in the centre of the large, open room. Ventress' two twirling red lightsabers against Anakin's single blue one. Obi-Wan didn't doubt Anakin's abilities for a second, but he still felt uneasy about it all. There was a slight tug in the back of his mind, warning him that something was going to happen._

_For a brief moment Obi-Wan was propelled back more than a decade to the last time he had seen two red blades wielded by a single fighter. That day he lost the man who had become a father to him. The consequences were much more dire this time. This time he could very well loose half of himself. Obi-Wan didn't know if he could overcome the darkness that had consumed him following Qui Gon's death if Anakin fell._

_He would not be too late a second time._

_So focused on reaching Anakin, though, Obi-Wan failed to notice the trap set before him. Stepping on a sensor built into the floor, a force field came up, separating him from Anakin. Touching it with the tip of his lightsaber, Obi-Wan wasn't surprised to find that it wouldn't penetrate the red haze._

_It was everything that had happened with Qui Gon all over again. He couldn't even toss Anakin his lightsaber to make it a more even match. He could only stsand by, helpless, as he had that afternoon in Theed when he was still a padawan._

_Slowly, the battle began to wind its way over to where he stood. Obi-Wan watched it intently, giving Anakin a second perspective of the fight by relaying what he saw along their bond. He didn't force the information, knowing that it would distract him, instead allowing Anakin to extract the information on his own._

_Obi-Wan could tell that it was Ventress who led the battle right to him, fighting only feet away. She had used such taunts when he was her prisoner and stuck in that Sithspawn mask. Out of the endless silence he would suddenly hear Anakin's voice, breathless and frantic, and for a few seconds Obi-Wan would think that he was safe. That he was finally being rescued. Never once had it been Anakin and each time he would feel the loss of his padawan all the more._

_Not having thought anything could penetrate the field, Obi-Wan was genuinely shocked to feel the blade of a lightsaber pass through his chest._

Still pondering Anakin's odd disappearance, Obi-Wan wandering about the plateau that the homestead was built on, trying to get some sense of where the younger man had gone to. When he noticed the absence of one of the speeder bikes he was suddenly consumed with dread.

"Was the bike gone when you did your check?" Obi-Wan asked the clone, following the track of sand that had been disrupted by the passing speeder bike.

"I only looked in here when I started my circuit," Cody informed him, the response somewhat mechanical. "There was no new disruption in the sand so I assumed that the marks were made when we'd arrived yesterday."

"Damned fool," Obi-Wan muttered under his breath. Anakin had always been far too spontaneous. It was a trait that Obi-Wan had never been able to reason or train out of him. And, to be honest, it was something he had always loved about the younger man. Anakin was always so alive and so in the moment that Obi-Wan couldn't help but be drawn in by that energy.

Only now Obi-Wan feared the very thing he loved about Anakin had led him into further danger.

* * *

The suns were beating down heavily on his back before Anakin came to a stop on the edge of a high plateau. The shifting sands destroyed any possible trail that he could have followed and he was instead searching in random directions. His search was random because he couldn't sense anyone out there. While there was nothing unusual about him being unable to sense Cody, Anakin couldn't help but worry over the fact that he could not longer sense Obi-Wan. He would normally be able to locate him so long as they were in the same system. That he couldn't feel Obi-Wan along their bond meant that he was no longer on Tatooine. That Obi-Wan had abandoned him. It made Anakin physically sick to think that his lover could have left him.

Anakin stumbled away from the speeder, staggering about until he at last fell to his knees. All around him was endless desert, no sign of another living creature. Anakin sagged forward, holding himself on his elbows as his chest began to heave and he vomited up what little contents were in his stomach. For the most part it was bile since Anakin couldn't remember the last time he'd eaten.

He couldn't really blame Obi-Wan for leaving him.

_It was an odd thing to watch a lightsaber duel from two perspectives. With barely more than a thought he could alternate from what he saw to what Obi-Wan could see. It didn't grant him completely advantage over Ventress, but it did give him an edge. Enough to block several blows that might have snuck past his defenses otherwise. He was also better able to track their progress through the empty bunker._

_All the way to the red force field that prevented Obi-Wan from taking part in the fight. And though he could tell Obi-Wan was trying not to, his frustration was coming through their bond very clearly. Ventress was taunting his lover._

_Yet even with both their views on the battle, neither of them could have predicted Ventress' red lightsaber piercing the force field and stabbing Obi-Wan very near to his heart._

"_NO!" Anakin screamed, watching in horror as Obi-Wan crumpled to the ground in a boneless heap._

_While he was distracted, Ventress disarmed him, removing him not only of his lightsaber, but of his durasteel arm as well. She severed the prosthetic just below the elbow joint and while he felt a slight twinge as circuits were shorted out, all that Anakin was aware of was that Obi-Wan could be dead._

_Probably was dead._

_And it was all his fault._

Rolling himself over onto his back, away from the mess, Anakin stared up at the sky with absolute calmness. He figured that it would take two days of Tatooine's intense suns and near freezing nights for him to die. It would normally take longer, but he had not food, water, or shelter. It would be a painful death, but Anakin knew that he deserved it.

If Obi-Wan didn't believe in him any longer what chance did he have of being redeemed?

A shadow fell over him then, one in the shape of a man. "I thought that I would find you here."

* * *

Obi-Wan felt it the moment Anakin gave up. The further he got away from the homestead the more he could sense Anakin's troubled emotions. Dark as Anakin's thoughts had been, Obi-Wan had always been able to feel an undercurrent of hope. Hope for them and their future, until suddenly there wasn't. There had been no warning; no hint at the depth of Anakin's despair.

Bringing the speeder bike to an uneasy stop, Obi-Wan leaned forward so that his forehead rested against the handles. He was panting and shivering, trying to figure out just what had happened. What could cause Anakin to give up so completely? Especially since the night before he had thought Anakin made a turn towards the light. Even with Sidious creeping into his lover's mind, Obi-Wan had truly thought that their love had won out. And, for a time, he knew it had. He just hadn't thought that it would be so brief.

_Anakin, please... _Obi-Wan sent along their bond. _Anakin, where are you? Answer me, love. Please. I'm here, Anakin, please. Just give me something so that I can find you. Anakin..._

Silence was the only thing he received in return. Not even a tremor or any clue that Anakin was still alive. The only reason that he knew the younger man was still alive was because he would have felt it if Anakin had died. He might not have been able to sense his lover's emotions at that moment, but their bond was strong enough that he would have felt his death regardless.

_I'm sorry._

Obi-Wan sat bolt upright when Anakin's half-sobbed plea ghosted along their bond. It was so full of misery and desolation that it caused a physical ache deep in the pit of Obi-Wan's stomach.

_Anakin, please. I love you._

As suddenly as Anakin's presence had been there, it was gone. In its place was a gaping void that Obi-Wan had not felt since Qui Gon's death. It was as he'd feared, though, with Anakin, the loss was much worse.


	16. Part XVI

Anakin wished that Sidious would just kill him. He didn't want any part of the old man's plans. He didn't want to be the Chosen One or Darth Vader. He wasn't even entirely certain that he wanted to be Anakin Skywalker any longer because Anakin Skywalker was a weak fool. He'd allowed Sidious to use his own fears against him and had once again fallen prey to the man's deceits. He felt sick at the thought that Sidious had actually convinced him that Obi-Wan had abandoned him. Obi-Wan would never do that. He'd promised that he would never leave him and so far he never had. As soon as they had left Tatooine's atmosphere it felt as though a light had been switched on in his mind and he could sense Obi-Wan's presence clearly. His lover had been there the whole time.

_I'm sorry._

That was all he had been able to send before he'd been locked inside the mask and he could no longer feel his connection to the Force. He'd lost track of how many days had passed since then as there was no schedule to keep him oriented. His constant fluttering in and out of consciousness only made to further disorient him.

When he was conscious, though, Sidious was always there, his voice a poison in Anakin's ear.

"It is a shame that we must go through this tedious excuse of an exercise, my boy," Sidious lamented as he paced about the table the younger man was strapped to. "You showed such great potential when you helped to destroy all those meddlesome Jedi. I had truly not thought that you would go so far as to kill the younglings. That was a most welcome surprise. I had such high hopes for your abilities. Now, though…."

His back arched off the table as blue Sith lightning jumped between Sidious' fingertips and his body. He bit down hard on his bottom lip to keep from screaming. He refused to give the Sith lord the pleasure of hearing him cry out. Nor would he give Sidious the pleasure of his anger.

"Where is the hatred? That anger that runs through your veins like fire?" Sidious mused as he stared down at the twitching body below. "Your anger is what makes you powerful. The Jedi knew this and tried to erase it from you. I know better. Embrace it. Strike me down with your anger. Only when you do that will you fulfill your destiny."

He stayed silent, gasping as he struggled to pull air back into his lungs. Even if he had the energy he wouldn't answer Sidious. It was a pathetic rebellion, but the only one he had available to him. His reward for it was another jolt of lightning. This one leaving him teetering on the edge of consciousness.

_She'd killed him. She'd killed Obi-Wan._

_That wasn't supposed to happen. She wasn't supposed to be able to put her lightsaber through the force field. Obi-Wan was supposed to be safe._

_Anakin hadn't thought to protect his lover because he hadn't thought Obi-Wan needed protecting. But she'd killed him. She'd killed Obi-Wan and all that Anakin had been able to do was watch helplessly as the other man's breathing had slowed to nothing. Anakin had tried throwing himself at the force field, thinking that it could be penetrated from their side, only to be tossed clear across the room on impact._

_What happened after that was a blur. He didn't know where he was or how much time had passed. All that he kept seeing was Ventress killing Obi-Wan time and again. It was an endless loop that he couldn't shut out. He couldn't even close his eyes and block it out because he couldn't tell if they were already open or closed. Everything was completely dark around the image of Obi-Wan dying._

_He'd been too slow. Every other time he'd managed to save Obi-Wan, but this time he'd been too slow. If he'd just put himself between Ventress and the red wall Obi-Wan was much better at dealing with loss. Obi-Wan had survived Qui Gon dying so his would be no problem._

"_A... kin..."_

_He'd replayed the battle so many times that he knew the exact moment Obi-Wan's death was set. Anakin had twisted to the right after deflecting an overhead jab when he should have twisted left. He'd thought he was drawing Ventress away to the right, but all it had done was leave Obi-Wan open and vulnerable._

"_Anakin, look... me... your eyes."_

_All that he would have had to do was turn left. If he would have just pivoted in the opposite direction Obi-Wan would still be alive. It wouldn't have changed whether or not he defeated Ventress… but it would have kept his lover alive._

"_Anakin!"_

He awoke with a start. He lay panting on the cold table, straining his hindered senses outwards. It was somewhat of a surprise when he realized that he was alone. He couldn't remember being alone since he'd been in the desert. Relieved as he was to be free of Sidious, he didn't want to be alone. He wanted to be with Obi-Wan. He doubted, though, that Obi-Wan wanted to be anywhere near him. After everything Obi-Wan had done for him, he had still been so quick to believe the worst.

To his right, a door whooshed open. He was no longer alone.

* * *

Spending so much time in hyperspace wasn't good for a ship's fuel reserves. It drained them in about twice the time it would normally take. The extra stops were worth it, though, because they would get to Coruscant quicker than without it. Or with only jumping into hyperspace half the time as Cody suggested.

Had Anakin not been involved, Obi-Wan likely would have heeded Cody's suggestion. It was better to take more time and have a place than to rush in. That was what Anakin would do. It wouldn't matter how much danger he put himself in so long as those he cared about were kept safe. It was just one of the countless things he loved about the younger man.

"I'm going to go for supplies," Cody announced, rising from his seat once the droids began refueling the ship. "I'll be back in under an hour."

Obi-Wan knew what supplies Cody was referring to and silently nodded his head. Neither of them were fool enough to attempt this rescue with only a pair of blasters and a lightsaber between them. Loathe as Obi-Wan was to admit it, they would need other weapons. That this would be a purely offensive venture as opposed to a defensive one went against all of Obi-Wan's training. A lightsaber was designed to be a defensive weapon. Some of the katas may have been meant for attacks, but those attacks still came after fighting proved unavoidable. For Anakin, though, Obi-Wan would forego his training. Anakin as already struggling to banish the darkness from him and Obi-Wan was determined not to let him fall.

Not entirely aware of how much time had passed, Obi-Wan was genuinely surprised when Cody came bursting into the cockpit. Obi-Wan didn't even have a chance to ask him what was going on when Cody had already accessed the HoloNet.

"You'll want to see this," was all Cody said before slumping into the pilot's seat.

Obi-Wan stared at the other man dubiously for a moment before turning his attention to the holovid being projected above the ship's main console. What he saw stole the breath from his lungs.

"Anakin."

In that instant Obi-Wan cursed all of the time he had insisted they spend searching Mos Eisley and the surrounding deserts for Anakin. It had been completely useless and had only given Sidious more time with Anakin.

"That we should live in such a time," Sidious, in his guise as Emperor Palpatine, lamented, glancing sadly at the unconscious form projected behind him. "That the Jedi should be allowed to carry out such atrocities on one of their own. Anakin Skywalker was a hero among the Jedi Order, selfless and brave, and because they feared his power the Jedi attempted to destroy him. They would not even offer him a clean death, but instead tortured him viciously."

Whatever restraint had existed in Obi-Wan Kenobi until that point was extinguished in the instant he saw the vidclip of Anakin strapped to a table, writhing under the onslaught of painful Sith lightning. A black mask that Obi-Wan knew all too well covered his face. What pained him as much as a physical blow, though, was Anakin screaming his name. Obi-Wan could see how hard Anakin had been trying to remain silent, but in the end he called for him. And Obi-Wan wasn't there to answer.

"Yet Master Kenobi was not there to answer his partner's call," the Emperor continued. "Kenobi was killed because the Jedi were fool enough to separate him and Skywalker. They destroyed their greatest team systematically and so we've destroyed them. The Jedi no longer served the Republic and so they were removed to make room for our new Empire. With luck, young Skywalker will recover and will be able to take his place at the head of a new Order. One not blinded by dogma, but one to serve the people."

Obi-Wan reached over and turned it off. He couldn't stomach any more of Sidious' propaganda. Not when he knew the truth. Sidious was the one torturing Anakin, not the Jedi. It had nearly destroyed Anakin once before and Obi-Wan didn't know if his lover could withstand it a second time.

_As soon as Obi-Wan saw his face he knew what had happened. Leaving Mace standing in the doorway, he rushed across the cell and into the corner where Anakin was restrained. He dropped to his knees before the younger man, his hands immediately moving to frame his face. He held Anakin's head tenderly, mindful of the burns that rimmed the edges of his face. Burns that Obi-Wan himself had bore less than a year before._

"_Anakin..." Obi-Wan moaned, leaning his forehead against his lover's. Two weeks. Mace said that it had been two weeks between when Anakin had fought Ventress and when they had been found. The other Jedi had been incredibly vague about the rescue which only worried Obi-Wan more._

_Anakin continued to mumble things incoherently, his entire body twitching. Obi-Wan tried to use their bond to coax Anakin back to him, but the younger man's mind was too unfocused. Every time Obi-Wan would think that he had latched onto Anakin's end of their bond, it would splinter off into hundreds of directions leaving Obi-Wan floundering._

"_Anakin, look at me. Open your eyes," he pleaded, steadfastly ignoring Mace's glare that he could feel against his back. He pushed that aside completely when the blonde began to convulse, his head slamming back against the wall. "Anakin!"_

_Less than a heartbeat later he had Anakin in his arms, holding the struggling body against his chest. Obi-Wan did what he could to calm his lover, murmuring nonsense words that usually calmed Anakin when he woke screaming from nightmares. Whatever terrors were haunting Anakin then, however, would not be appeased by mere words. Anakin continued to whimper and tremble against him, fidgeting about restlessly in the straight jacket that kept his arms bound against his body._

"_Untie him, Mace," Obi-Wan ordered, the tone of his voice not changing as he didn't want to upset Anakin further. He made certain, though, that the High Council member knew full well the import of his words by his expression._

"_I'm not entirely certain that's wise," Mace protested just the same._

"_I'll take it under advisory, but for now untie him," Obi-Wan insisted, his glare intensifying. "Being confined is only making it worse."_

_Though the elder Jedi still didn't look convinced, he nonetheless moved behind Anakin and began unfastening the straps and buckles that kept the young knight restrained. As soon as the last of the straps fell away, Obi-Wan unwound on arm from about Anakin and frantically began to pull the wretched jacket from him. Still caught up in the elongated sleeve, Anakin threw his left arm, the prosthetic not having been replaced, around the older man, clutching at him desperately._

"_Hush now, Anakin. I've got you," Obi-Wan murmured against Anakin's temple. "I'm here and I'm not going anywhere."_

_Shifting his hold on the noticeably taller body, Obi-Wan rose to his feet with Anakin in his arms. Anakin was still clutching at his robes desperately as Obi-Wan left the detention cell. As he passed by Mace, Obi-Wan didn't even acknowledge the other man. Mace wouldn't understand. He had never been Asajj Ventress' prisoner. He had never been force into that Sith-begotten mask. And he had never been tortured by pains and poison while being told that the most important person in his life was dead. Mace Windu had no right to judge._

"We need to get back to Coruscant immediately," Obi-Wan said, his voice hard as the fingers of his right hand drifted to a nearly invisible scar at the corner of his jaw. It was a scar that both he and Anakin shared; reminders of their time as Ventress' prisoners. "As soon as the ship is ready I want to be out of here. I don't care about weapons or anything else. We need to get Sidious away from Anakin now."

"Sir, as much as I'd like to—"

"I don't want arguments, Cody. Just get it done or I'll go alone. I'm not leaving Anakin in that monster's grasp any longer."

The droids continued outside, busily refueling the ship without any care to what was happening inside the cockpit. For his part, Anakin could think of another time that he had been so determined to thrust himself into danger. That was Anakin's role in their partnership. He would rush in and Obi-Wan would be left trying to figure a way out of it. That was how the team of Kenobi and Skywalker worked. It was how they had become so unstoppable. Until they were separated. Now Obi-Wan was forced to make up new rules until he and Anakin were reunited.

And they would be. Obi-Wan would not be separated from his beloved indefinitely.

He would save Anakin.

From Sidious and from himself.

The rest of the galaxy be damned.

* * *

"_NO!" Anakin screamed, watching in horror as Obi-Wan crumpled to the ground in a boneless heap._

_While he was distracted, Ventress disarmed him, removing him not only of his lightsaber, but of his durasteel arm as well. She severed the prosthetic just below the elbow joint and while he felt a slight twinge as circuits were shorted out, all that Anakin was aware of was that Obi-Wan could be dead._

_Probably was dead._

_And it was all his fault._

"I can make it stop," a slithering voice said from the very edges of his consciousness. "I can make this nightmare of yours end. All that you have to do is submit to me. Renounce your allegiance to Kenobi and you'll be free from all this pain."

He merely grunted as the vision started again.

_

* * *

Obi-Wan was reluctant to set Anakin down. They were back within the safety of their rooms, but still Obi-Wan couldn't completely set aside his fear. Anakin had just endured the one thing that Obi-Wan had always wanted to protect him from. The Force was a part of Anakin's very being, possibly even birthed by the midichlorians themselves. For Anakin to be cut off from it for even a little while, let alone two full weeks, would have consequences that obi-Wan didn't even want to consider._

_Sure enough, when he tried to set Anakin down on their bed, terror-stricken blue eyes shot open, a wordless cry erupting from Anakin's throat. Obi-Wan grabbed him up once again, pressing his cheek against the top of Anakin's head._

"_Dead. Dead... all my fault... I did it..." Anakin moaned into Obi-Wan's throat. "I killed you..."_

_Nudging his head down, Obi-Wan brushed his lips against the corner of Anakin's. "You didn't kill me, love. That monster didn't, either. She struck as though I had your height, forgetting that I'm several inches shorter. She missed my heart."_

"_No, I saw it," Anakin insisted, shaking his head in denial. "I saw you die."_

"_No, love, you didn't."_

_Anakin shook his head once again, trying to squirm away from him. Obi-Wan held him tightly. Whatever Ventress had done to him, or tried to convince him, Obi-wan needed to convince him that it wasn't true. Remembering just how healing it had been to feel his bond with Anakin resurface after his time in that torturous mask, Obi-Wan opened himself up completely to Anakin. He lowered all of his walls, knowing that Anakin would believe that over whatever words Obi-Wan tried to offer._

_Obi-Wan could feel it when Anakin began to realize the truth of the situation. The tension began to seep from his muscles and Obi-Wan felt a warmth starting to infuse him from the inside. A comforting warmth that he knew to be Anakin._

Obi-Wan hadn't meant to fall asleep. He wasn't even aware that he had fallen asleep. He'd been meditating, trying to center himself for what he knew was going to come, when he'd suddenly found himself waking with a start.

"We're coming into Coruscant's atmosphere, General," Cody's voice echoed over the ship's internal speakers.

Rising from his seat, Obi-Wan grabbed up his lightsaber and made his way back towards the cockpit. There was an odd buzz in the back of his mind. It was a slight tingling sensation, proof to him that Anakin was still alive. Their bond was muted, nearly to the point of non-existence, but now that they were on Coruscant, the strength of that bond was shining through.

"I'm coming, love."


	17. Part XVII

As they entered Coruscant's atmosphere he could feel the weak threads of Anakin's Force signature. It was very frayed and indistinct, and Obi-Wan knew that it would be difficult to track Anakin that way. Not that it would be difficult to find the younger man. All that he needed to do was find Sidious. After what had happened the last time it was highly unlikely that he would stray far from Anakin until he was certain of his allegiance. Even then he was likely to remain cautious.

"Take us to the industrial sector," Obi-Wan instructed Cody. "We'll be able to hide the Falcon there."

What he left unsaid at the moment was rumours of a passage that led from the industrial sector right to 500 Republica. It as good a place as any to start his search for Anakin. That it was possibly also the most dangerous was inconsequential. Obi-Wan only cared about finding Anakin before he was swallowed up by the darkness.

And even though he knew that it was likely a bad idea, he had also decided that he and Cody should split up. As much as he trusted Cody, there was a great deal he didn't know about the clone's programming. Even though he didn't want to think too hard on it, Obi-Wan had a suspicion that it was Cody who had unwittingly led Sidious right to them. He didn't know how it was done, but Obi-Wan was fairly certain that there was a way to track the clones: homing beacons imbedded somewhere under the skin. Obi-Wan didn't approve of it much in the same way he hadn't approved of the small chip that had been placed under Anakin's skin when he was a slave. Most of the time the homing chips weren't much of an issue, but so close to Sidious, Obi-Wan couldn't take the chance.

"I need you to find out whatever information you can about the goings on in the Senate in the past few weeks," Obi-Wan instructed as Cody brought the ship into dock in a large abandoned factory bunker. "I will find Anakin."

Cody looked as though he would say something else, but remained silent. For all the time he had spent in their company, Obi-Wan knew that their relationship still confused the clone. While the clones certain did have the ability to think for themselves, the basis of all their reactions came from Jango Fett. The rugged and rough bounty hunter was not one that Obi-Wan would envision as being open-minded about sexual relationships. Cody himself had never made a comment on his relationship with Anakin, discretion that he and Anakin were grateful for as, to Obi-Wan's knowledge, the Council had never found out about his and Anakin's relationship. Obi-Wan feared to think about what the consequences would have been if Mace and the rest of the Council had known of the strong bond that had formed between him and Anakin. What the austere Master had suspected had caused enough problems for them.

"_Skywalker was in that cell for a reason," Mace growled as he stalked into the quarters that Obi-Wan and Anakin shared while on Coruscant. "He is a threat to himself and every other sentient being and should be locked away."_

_Obi-Wan stood before the bedroom that he and Anakin shared, arms crossed over his chest. "Anakin is only a threat so long as you make him so. You have blown a very simple situation completely out of control."_

"_The Council did what it thought necessary where Skywalker was concerned. He was insensible when we removed the mask and injured each of the Jedi who were a part of the rescue. Two of the clones were killed. All this while he was too weak to even walk under his own power. We did what was necessary," Mace insisted as he came to a stop barely two feet in front of where Obi-Wan stood._

_His arrogance only infuriated Obi-Wan more._

"_With all due respect, Mace, you have no right to judge Anakin's actions. You don't know what it's like for a Jedi to be forced into that mask," Obi-Wan reminded the more senior Master, his voice hard._

"_Regardless of my own opinion, it is the will of the Council that Skywalker be returned to the detention cell," Mace informed him, clasping his hands behind his back._

_Obi-Wan arched an eyebrow. "I could hardly have been a unanimous decision as all Council members were not present."_

"_Given your attachment to young Skywalker, you could not be counted on to remain impartial where he's concerned. So you were excluded from the proceedings," Mace explained, his tone relaying just how trivial he believed it to be. "You have one standard hour to return him to the detention center."_

"_And just what will happen after that hour?"_

"_Skywalker will be forcibly removed from your care."_

Having read Mace's report on the passage found leading to 500 Republica, Obi-Wan immediately made his way to where the other Jedi had begun their search for Sidious. Had Palpatine not arranged his own abduction Mace and the others likely would have discovered his alternate identity as the Sith lord much sooner. In time to prevent the destruction of the Jedi Order. At the moment he didn't have the luxury of focusing on such things. He could only be grateful for the information that would, with luck, help him find Anakin sooner.

* * *

"I honestly do not know why you continue to struggle. He will not come," Sidious insisted, frustration evident in his tone. "He _i cannot /i _come for you." 

Anakin arched his neck to prevent smashing his head against the hard surface beneath him. He wanted to block out Sidious' words, but he couldn't focus. The mask made it impossible to focus on anything. He could sense the Force only enough to be taunted by its presence, unable to use it. Unable to tell if Sidious' words were truth or lies.

And desperate as he was for Obi-Wan to come, Anakin hoped that his lover had chosen to abandon him. He couldn't be the reason that Obi-Wan was killed. Being without his lover was pain enough, but if Obi-Wan were alive he would at least be able to take comfort in that. He knew that Obi-Wan would look after Padmé and his child. His lover would make sure that they were kept safe from Sidious.

_He knew immediately that he was alone. He could sense it before he even opened his eyes. It had been a dream then. Obi-Wan really was dead and all because of him. It made Anakin want to scream, but he found that he didn't have the energy to do so. _

"_And just what will happen after that hour?"_

"_Skywalker will be forcibly removed from your care."_

_Anakin's eyes immediately shot open when he heard Obi-Wan's voice. The older man was still alive. Anakin was out of the bed before he even realized it, rushing towards the sound of his lover's voice. The other voice that he had heard with Obi-Wan was full of rage that was bubbling just beneath the surface._

_It took him only an instant to establish which of the two figures was Obi-Wan. In that instant he altered his path and tackled the other man to the ground._

"_Don't touch him! You stay away from him! Stay away!" Anakin shouted, his fists slamming into every available bit of flesh that he could find. He couldn't let anyone hurt Obi-Wan. Not again. He couldn't risk anything happening to Obi-Wan because the next time he really could be dead._

_Even after he had stopped punching, Anakin continued screaming, the words blending into a single sound. Arms wrapped around him then, pulling him away from the other man and into a familiar embrace. Anakin sobbed with relief, twisting himself about so that he could wind himself about the one holding him._

"_You're alive," he moaned against Obi-Wan's shoulder. "You're alive. You're alive. You're alive."_

In the end, that was all that really mattered to him: that the people he cared about were kept safe. What happened to him ultimately didn't matter.

Try as he might, he couldn't prevent the scream that escaped his lips as his body was once against racked with pain.

* * *

There was something sinister about being in the tunnels. As though it was filled with the phantom presence of people long since dead. That it was also the path to the Dark Lord's lair was fitting. The only way Obi-Wan would have felt more uneasy about his current path would have been if it was clean and well lit. In a way, there was comfort in its darkness. 

As he trekked through the tunnels, following a fading, indistinct trail in the dust, Obi-Wan regretted that he couldn't contact Anakin through their bond. It was something that he couldn't risk. Not with Sidious so close. He was forced to keep his shields up as tight as possible in order to ensure that his presence on Coruscant was kept masked for as long as he was able.

To better his chances of remaining hidden, Obi-Wan had said nothing to Cody of his chosen path. It was that he didn't trust Cody; Sidious was the one that he didn't trust and Sidious was the one who ultimately controlled Cody and the rest of the clone commanders. Proof of that was Order Sixty-Six which had decimated their ranks. Obi-Wan himself had been the victim of a separate order and while it was Cody who had rescued him, he was also the one to have shot him in the first place. There was no way Obi-Wan could know whether such a thing would happen again and so he had separated himself from Cody.

Hearing a noise up ahead, Obi-Wan immediately ducked into a nearby alcove. He was grateful for the black clothing that he wore which kept him hidden far better than his beige robes would have. His twitching fingers moved automatically towards his lightsaber, wrapping around the hilt in a tight grip. Obi-Wan remained perfectly still otherwise, his senses strained towards the passageway's other inhabitant.

He was relieved to discover that it was only a droid. It was lying on the ground in several pieces before its sensors had even registered a threat. Obi-Wan began moving forward once again immediately, clipping his lightsaber onto his belt. With any luck there would be no further disruptions on his way to 500 Republica. Anakin had already spent far too long in Sidious' clutches.

_Obi-Wan wasn't sure how long he and Anakin sat huddled on the floor in the middle of the common room. The blonde had long since stopped crying, but Obi-Wan made no move to release him. Not while Anakin was still trembling ever so slightly. Mace had left at some point, but that, like so much else, didn't register in his mind. He only cared about Anakin who seemed on the verge of falling apart at any moment._

"_Hush now, love," Obi-Wan murmured into Anakin's unruly curls. "I'm not going anywhere, you have my word on it."_

_Anakin said nothing, hugging Obi-Wan to him even tighter._

"_She didn't kill me, Anakin," Obi-Wan assured his lover. "She had been concentrating so hard on fighting you that she struck as though I had been you. Her aim was too high and she missed my heart. So you did save me. That damnable height of yours is what kept me alive. It now seems worth all that trouble we went through keeping you in clothes that fit when you were younger."_

_He wasn't sure what type of response he had been expecting, but the brief flicker of a smile against his neck was hopeful. Anakin still didn't say a single word, but his body was beginning to relax; muscles no longer quite so tense._

"_Come now, I am not as young as I once was, and this floor is quite uncomfortable."_

Obi-Wan was brought up short when he felt a familiar presence flair suddenly to life. Anakin. He was frightened, panicked, and in enough pain that it nearly brought Obi-Wan to his knees. Obi-Wan shook off the phantom pains, even more worried for Anakin that he had been before. Obi-Wan hadn't lowered his shields so he shouldn't have been able to feel Anakin's pain so acutely. He shouldn't have been able to sense it at all.

_Obi-Wan!_

He also shouldn't have been able to hear his lover's voice echoing in his mind with such intensity. It pained him that he couldn't risk a response. Desperate as he was to assure Anakin that he was coming, he couldn't chance Sidious discovering his presence on Coruscant just yet. So instead he sped up his pace, following the fading trail of Anakin's Force Signature.

* * *

In that moment Cody was relieved that General Kenobi wasn't anywhere that he could see the latest HoloNet footage. The Jedi Master's nerves were coiled tightly enough without seeing his partner bound and displayed before the entire galaxy like a trophy. A truly frightening trophy. Clad all in black, Skywalker wrists were fettered to his hips with what Cody assumed were meant to be invisible shackles and his face was covered by what appeared to be a black death mask. Emperor Palpatine might be attempting to disguise the mask's presence as a necessity following the supposed Jedi attack on General Skywalker, but unlike most Cody knew the true purpose of the mask. He had been a part of the rescue team that had gone after Kenobi and Skywalker following their abduction by Asajj Ventress. He had seen first hand the effects wearing the mask had on the young Jedi then and had the emotion registered with him then he would have feared for Skywalker this time if fear was an emotion that registered with him.

* * *

It was as though he was underwater and floundering for anything that was familiar. There was nothing, though. Despite all of his efforts, he couldn't focus on a single thing in the Force and knew that even if he had been able to there was no one for him to sense. Obi-Wan was the only Jedi left in the entire galaxy and Anakin knew that the older man would no longer want anything to do with him. He was too weak. It didn't matter that he was the best pilot in the galaxy or one of the best swordsmen; in the end he was weak. He had allowed Sidious to convince him that Obi-Wan would abandon him when his lover had always promised him the opposite. 

Yet while he could sense almost nothing through the Force, Anakin was far too aware of what was going on around him in the physical world. Too weak to fight back, he had been dressed in what amounted to little more than a walking prison cell. To keep him docile the mask was still in place and along with it he had been dressed in stiff black leather that also contained several hidden straps and cuffs that kept him restrained. The reinforced and very sturdy straps were at his upper arms, elbows, wrists, and knees which made escape all but impossible without the use of the Force. Not that he would have had the strength to escape even if he hadn't been restrained. He was barely even managing to keep to his feet as Sidious made a grand speech about the evils of the Jedi.

Anakin chaffed with the inability to speak. Since he would have been able to speak even with the mask on it had been briefly removed and a gag stuck in his mouth. The moment it had been removed he had done what was instinctual and screamed for his lover along their bond. He didn't expect an answer, but it still hurt that he didn't even feel a flicker of the older man's presence. He had hoped that he would at least get some type of a response from Obi-Wan.

"…. And to think that the Jedi were once considered to be our former Republic's renowned peacekeepers. They cannot even be counted on to protect one of their own. The Hero With No Fear and the Negotiator. How often have we all heard of the exploits of this formidable pair? And the Jedi nearly destroyed them, our greatest heroes and protectors. We should therefore be relieved that young Skywalker was spared an untimely death. It is a shame that he will be forced to wear this mask just to breathe. After all that Skywalker has done for us, that this would be his reward…."

Sidious played the part of a lamenting politician well, earning the sympathies of his new Empire. None of those hapless masses even suspected that it was all lies. Or that their "hero" was now a prisoner. Had they known the truth of recent events he doubted there would be any sympathies for either he or Sidious. They were both monsters. And now they both looked the part: Sidious with his disfigurement as a result of his duel with Master Windu, and Anakin himself in the frightening black mask.

While he had never seen the mask from the front himself, he had seen it several times in Obi-Wan's nightmares. As much as his lover had tried to conceal the effects of his own time as Ventress' prisoner, the one thing that he couldn't hide were his nightmares. For all of his meditating, he couldn't do anything about his unconscious minds when he slept. There had been many nights that he had been woken by Obi-Wan's panicked screams as his nightmares jolted him back into wakefulness.

_Anakin had been sitting in the common room, going over the contents of a datapad when he heard the shout from Obi-Wan's bedroom. He was on his feet before the cry had even finished, the datapad tumbling forgotten from his hands. Calling Obi-Wan's name, Anakin ran towards his master's room, thankful he didn't need to waste time with the door as he rushed to the older man's side._

_Inside the room, Obi-Wan was seated upright in the center of the bed, panting and gripping at his skull as he rocked back and forth. A moment later Anakin was kneeling on the bed, winding his arms around Obi-Wan's shoulders. The smaller man clung to him desperately, his body trembling as Anakin ran his fingertips up and down Obi-Wan's spine. Neither man spoke. There was no need. Obi-Wan wouldn't answer any of the questions Anakin asked. Not that questions were needed. In the few moments after a nightmare, Obi-Wan always projected quite clearly. So Anakin would do what he could, holding his lover while he shook and making tea to help calm him enough to sleep again._

"_I have should not be having these dreams still," Obi-Wan sighed, turning his head so that his cheek rested against Anakin's shoulder. "I have moved passed it and the memories no longer trouble me. It is in the past, where it belongs."_

_Anakin pressed a kiss to the top of Obi-Wan's head. "I'll find her one day and make sure that she really is in the past. She won't hurt either of us again."_

What a naïve fool he had been. Everything had all appeared so simple then. Go in, fight the bad guys, defeat the bad guys. A very simple equation that was never supposed to change.

Except now he was one of the bad guys.

Whether he wanted to be or not.


	18. Part XVIII

Obi-Wan stood in the center of Emperor Palpatine's ornate apartments, feeling at a complete loss for the first time since he'd left Tatooine. Until that moment he had been moving ever forwards, living only in each moment and not thinking further than his next act. For the first time he was floundering, unsure of what he should do.

He had followed the faint traces of Anakin's Force signature up to these very suites, but there was no evidence that Anakin had spent more than a few moments there. Only long enough to leave that brief trace before he was smuggled off elsewhere. Obi-Wan had no idea where to even begin searching for the next location It could quite literally be anywhere on Coruscant. With all of his powers there was no limit as to where Sidious could hide Anakin.

Obi-Wan's eyes were fixed to the large HoloNet screen hovering some two hundred meters beyond the curving transperisteel window. He didn't even need to read the captions to know that the masked and fettered figure next to the Emperor was Anakin.

Without even realizing it, Obi-Wan found himself standing with a hand pressed to the window as though he could reach through and touch Anakin. Perhaps even pull Anakin to safety. It wouldn't be that easy, though. Sidious wouldn't give Anakin up without a fight. Fortunately, neither would Obi-Wan.

Stalking back towards the access panel, Obi-Wan began the journey back down to the base of 500 Republica. But not before leaving behind a few tracking sensors that would let him know if Anakin was brought back to the suite. He didn't think that it was entirely likely, but he wanted to cover all possibilities.

"_Good morning," Obi-Wan murmured as Anakin slowly blinked his eyes open. With the tip of his right index finger, he lightly brushed Anakin's rumpled hair out of his face. "You look better this morning."_

_With a muffled groan, Anakin rolled into Obi-Wan's chest. Anakin wound his long arms around his lover, holding tight to Obi-Wan when he began to shudder and shake. Obi-Wan kept his body pliant, allowing Anakin to shift about at will. Anakin wedged a thigh between Obi-Wan's so that he could pull the older man's leg over his hip. It was only when Obi-Wan rolled himself on top of Anakin that the blonde finally seemed to stop shaking. He buried his face against Obi-Wan's throat and released a shuddering breath._

"_Looks are deceiving, I take it," he amended, pressing a kiss to Anakin's temple._

"_Every time I wake up I think that you being alive was just a dream," Anakin confessed, his face still hidden so that the words were muffled. "I saw the blade go through you and I saw you crumple. You just fell. Like a droid that's lost power..."_

"_I won't deny that it hurt, but I'm fully recovered now," Obi-Wan assured Anakin, murmuring into his hair. "The scar is barely even noticeable."_

"_It's all that I can see."_

_Obi-Wan maneuvered himself so that he was able to look up into Anakin's strained features. "Then you need to look elsewhere, love."_

_It only took a few insistent kisses for him to awaken Anakin's ardor. He knew Anakin well enough to know that it was physical comfort he craved then. Anakin had always been incredibly tactile. Moreso when he was upset. And Obi-Wan had never failed to offer up that comfort._

His concern right then was finding Anakin and getting him out of that mask. The rest he would deal with as it came.

* * *

He was going out of his mind. He couldn't even seem to twitch a single finger. It was his own stupidity that had brought him to his current predicament, but he had to at least try and escape. There was no way he could be Sidious' pawn indefinitely. To be trapped in that mask once again was a torture Anakin had hoped to never endure a second time.

So ignoring the fact that his arms were bound—something that had never hindered him in the past—Anakin had attempted to evade his guards. And while he had managed to duck and roll away from them, it hadn't ultimately done him much good. Even before he'd gotten to his feet there had been hands on him; some holding him down, others jabbing him with lightning prods. He had jerked and cried out under the assault. Sidious himself had done nothing about it even though he was standing only a few paces away. Only when hey were convinced that he was subdued did the Red Guards let up.

As a result of that escape attempt, Anakin was now strapped down more securely to the table in what Sidious mockingly referred to as his quarters. Twenty-one separate straps as well as that strange blue force field all kept him completely immobile. He couldn't even scream because the gag was still firmly in place, held there by the mask itself.

What was more frustrating was that he was completely alone. He was alone and in complete darkness. As a result, finding ways to distract himself was difficult.

_There was no reason for him to be nervous. Being intimate with Obi-Wan had always come naturally to him. It was quelling such reactions that was often the challenge. Their relationship was technically forbidden by the Code they had both dedicated their lives to._

_In that moment, though, Anakin felt just as unsure as he had that night he'd wandered into Obi-Wan's room that night more than a year before. In the beginning he had been fine; he'd welcomed the kisses and the fingers tracing over his skin. But once the blankets slipped down and Anakin could see the still-pink scar so very close to his lover's heart his confidence had faded almost completely. Obi-Wan had almost died because he had been so stubborn and headstrong, wanting vengeance against Ventress for what she'd done to Obi-Wan a few months before._

_Obi-Wan rolling over onto his back was not something Anakin had expected. Neither was being drawn between his lover's thighs. Anakin stared down at him, uncertain if Obi-Wan was truly implying what his position indicated. Obi-Wan simply held his gaze and offered a reassuring smile that was anything but. All it did was make Anakin feel more nervous._

"_I am hardly going to be judging your performance," Obi-Wan murmured, no doubt sensing Anakin's own fears. "Have you ever judged mine?"_

"_That's different," Anakin mumbled, bowing his head so that Obi-Wan couldn't see his face._

_Obi-Wan reached up and tilted Anakin's chin up so that their eyes once again met. "No, Anakin, it isn't."_

_Anakin wanted to protest further, but found that he couldn't. Instead his mind was filled with images, thoughts and emotions that came directly from Obi-Wan. It was impossible to deny the love that the older man felt for him. It was just seeped into every corner of his being—the same as it was for Anakin. He loved Obi-Wan with every beat of his heart and to know that his feelings were returned filled him with a warmth beyond any he had ever known._

_So when he eased himself into Obi-Wan for the first time, it was equal parts breath snatching and a homecoming._

Knowing that he could not force himself out of the room, Anakin instead focused on what he could do. Obi-Wan had always told him that he was too head strong, trying for everything when only a half-measure was needed. It was part of the reason they had always worked so well together. Obi-Wan was calm and collected, ready and willing to negotiate. Anakin instead had a habit of firing first without figuring out the whole situation first. Both tactics had their uses and had saved their lives. So Anakin tried to collect his thoughts as he knew Obi-Wan would have.

And when he did he realized that the switch which activated the blue force field around him had not been pushed completely into place. It was loose and with the minute tendrils of the Force Anakin was able to access he could wiggle it slightly. Not much. Just enough so that he could feel the movement of it.

So, mustering all of the patience that he possessed, Anakin began to jiggle the switch. It took all of his concentration which frustrated him completely, but it would be worth it in the end. It might prove to Obi-Wan that he wasn't completely useless.

* * *

For roughly the past hour, Obi-Wan had been sensing the faintest traces of Anakin's Force signature. It was almost non-existent it was so faint. However, it was there even if it wasn't strong enough for Obi-Wan to be able to track the younger man. Every time that he tried those misty tendrils would slip right through his grasp and into oblivion.

It was comforting, though, because it meant that Anakin was finally thinking clearly enough to realize that he wasn't completely cut off from the Force. It was something that had taken Obi-Wan himself a little while to figure out when Ventress had taken him captive.

Rather than returning to the industrial sector, Obi-Wan made his way into Coruscant's lower levels. If he was going to find out where Anakin was, the information would come from that part of the city. For a price you could find out anything. Obi-Wan just hoped that they wouldn't send him on a wild bantha chase. He had no time for such antics because if Obi-Wan could sense that Anakin was attempting to use the Force, Sidious would be able to as well.

It was not the first time he had been in such a bar, but Obi-Wan still felt slightly uneasy. The one that he was in—The Durasteel Fist –was notorious when it came to hiring mercenaries. Some of the worst filth of the galaxy could be found there at any given time. The perfect associates for Sidious to hire.

"I need some help with a Jedi," Obi-Wan murmured to the Mugaarian bartender. "Know anyone who could help me with that?"

"What are ya payin'?"

"Fifteen thousand credits."

The bartender whistled softly. "That's a lotta cash. This Jedi must have pissed you off good."

"Let's just say that it's personal. You know anyone or not?"

"I may know someone. What's in it for me if I tell you?"

Obi-Wan gave an annoyed grunt, leaning in close to the Mugaarian's space. "How about this: you tell me, I don't kill you."

For several long moments, Obi-Wan held the bartenders's gaze, making sure the Mugaarian realized just how serious he was. It was stalemate for a while, neither being willing to admit defeat. In the end it was Obi-Wan's determination that won out. His determination came from knowing that he would follow through on his threat. Had the situation not been what it was, Obi-Wan might have been more shocked by the fact he would kill the bartender without regret. The Mugaarian was an obstacle that kept him from Anakin and such obstacles would be eliminated.

Sensing defeat, the Mugaarian scuttled away. For one brief second, while no one was looking, Obi-Wan allowed the hard edge to fade from his expression. Obi-Wan preferred to keep his darker emotions in the background because he feared what would happen if they were allowed to surface too often. He almost hadn't been able to regain control over his anger when Qui-Gon had been murdered by the demon faced Sith. It was only his former master's dying cries that roused him from those dark thoughts that had been consuming him. Had Qui-Gon not lived those extra few minutes there was a chance that Obi-Wan would have fallen. There was no telling what would have happened to Anakin had such a thing occurred. None of the other Jedi Masters or Knights would have taken over his training and it was obvious now that Sidious had already known of his identity. Anakin would have been lost, a casualty of an out-dated Code.

_Obi-Wan's mouth fell open in a silent gasp as he felt the blunt head of Anakin's cock press into him. He couldn't stop his body's instinct to clench against the slow, burning pain, even if the pain was on the exquisite side. Anakin must have sensed his slight discomfort because he stilled immediately._

"_Sorry," Anakin mumbled, ducking his head down so that Obi-Wan could no longer see his eyes._

"_There is no need to apologize."_

"_You used to apologize to me."_

_Obi-Wan had to chuckle at that. It was certainly true. In the beginning Obi-Wan had been so hyper-aware of Anakin's every emotion that he ended up apologizing even in the midst of their lovemaking if he thought he had hurt Anakin in even the slightest way. The only time his concern had ever been warranted was when his lightsaber had gotten lost in the folds of their thin camp blanket and he had be forcing Anakin down onto it repeatedly. The cheeky blonde had merely informed him that his lightsaber was his life and that he should not be so careless with it. So Obi-Wan had tossed the weapon across the tent where it would no longer interfere with their fucking._

_What they were doing at that moment was most definitely not fucking._

_Sliding his fingers into Anakin's rumpled hair, Obi-Wan guided the smaller man's face towards his own. He arched his hips at the same moment he caught Anakin's lips up in a kiss. The dual assault had the desired effect, snapping Anakin out of his reservations. His confidence seemed to return as he began thrusting into Obi-Wan without hesitation, angling his hips to compensate as Obi-Wan pressed his feet into the mattress to change the angle of his own hips._

_While the friction on his cock wasn't as constant as it could be, the sensation of Anakin moving within him more than made up for it. It was enough to make his thighs tremble and his neck to arch back. A position that Anakin took immediately advantage of, latching onto the side of his throat with his lips. The mark that he would discover the next morning was the furthest thing from Obi-Wan's mind in that moment, his body too lost in the feel of Anakin moving within him._

_In the end his release came far too soon._

"So I hear that you're looking for someone who can take on a Jedi," a rather sinister looking man with a Corellian accent said as he slid into the seat next to him. "And that you're offering quite a bit of credits to do it. But, from what I hear, there ain't many Jedi left."

"Enough," Obi-Wan grunted. "How do I know you're not just after the credits?"

The Corellian looked rather smug as he downed a mouthful of some rather foul-smelling alcohol. "I helped bring in that Hero With No Fear. Skywalker. Vader. Whatever he's calling himself these days."

Obi-Wan feigned shock at this revelation. "From what I heard it was the Jedi that brought him down. Some kind of internal purge."

"That the spin being put on it?" he chuckled, rolling his eyes and taking another swig of his drink. "It was all me and my boys."

"Still need proof that you're legit before you see even a single credit."

The mercenary glanced around before reaching into the extremely worn brown flight jacket he was wearing. "This do?"

Anakin's lightsaber was not what Obi-Wan expected the man to pull out.

It took every once of self control that Obi-Wan possessed to not forcibly remove the lightsaber hilt from that scum's hand. He had no idea how the man had managed to walk away with such a prize, but that was hardly Obi-Wan's concern. Where the Corellian had taken Anakin was.

"That thing real?" Obi-Wan asked, arching his eyebrow as though he were impressed.

"Real as it gets. Snatched it when the old man paying us wasn't looking." The man returned Anakin's lightsaber to the hidden pocket in his jacket. "So? We in business or not?"

* * *

Anakin had long ago lost track of how long he had been trying to flip that switch. Over and again he tugged on it with the meager amount of the Force he was able to control. It was entirely too repetitive for his tastes and equally frustrating. He kept at it, though. It was the only chance he had of getting out of that room under his own power. Anakin was purposely not thinking about how he would possible get out of the restraints and the mask that was causing him so much trouble to begin with.

Spending so much time in the same position was starting to make Anakin's muscles cramp. All that he could do was clench and release his muscles, but that offered no relief whatsoever. He was still stuck in the same position. Even if he'd been on the watery planet Obi-Wan had taken him to when he was thirteen it would have still be torture for him. Anakin needed to move.

So frustrated with his inability to move, Anakin nearly missed it when the switch finally slipped. It was only when he noticed the absence of the blue haze that he realized that he'd finally succeeded. Had the gag not been in his mouth he would have crowed with delight.

One step closer.

* * *

It shouldn't have surprised Obi-Wan that Sidious would be bold enough to hide Anakin in the bowels of the Senate Rotunda. What better place was there to conceal a powerful prisoner than in the building with the greatest influx of sentient beings on a daily basis. Even when the Senate wasn't in session, senators, aides, politicians, and all sorts of other individuals there for whatever reason flowed in and out of the building.

Climbing into the ventilation shaft, Obi-Wan angled his hips so that the two lightsabers hooked to his belt didn't get caught. It would hardly do for him to be discovered when he was so close to finding Anakin. If the instructions he received were correct, Anakin was being held in one of the detention cells in sub-level 6.

Obi-Wan would soon discover whether the price he had paid for the information was worth it.


	19. Part XIX

He strained upwards, arching his back as best he could. His skin was slick with sweat, but it wasn't enough to ease the friction. He wanted to scream out in frustration, only no sound passed his lips. Everything was silent save for a few grunts of effort. He tried to dig his heels I and slipped, a few tears of frustration slipping past his tightly clenched eyelids.

Every muscle in his body ached with the effort of trying to get free. Thigh muscles tense, stomach clenched, arms bulging, all with no results to offer up. He was trapped and no amount of effort would see him free.

_Obi-Wan please..._ Anakin sobbed even though he knew his lover wouldn't hear him. _I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to._

Anakin had no idea what he was apologizing for, really wanting nothing more than to hear Obi-Wan's voice along their bond. He needed to know that he wasn't alone and that Obi-Wan hadn't given up on him. He didn't want to be alone in the dark any longer.

"_It's the middle of the night. Why are the lights still on?"_

_Ducking his head down, Anakin glanced away from Obi-Wan. He was nearly twenty-three years old, far past the age when he'd need some kind of nightlight. He was a Jedi Knight not some snot-nosed youngling. He shouldn't have been afraid of the dark. But he was. The thought of being in complete darkness had him trembling._

"_There's nothing to be ashamed of, Anakin," Obi-Wan murmured, drawing Anakin against his chest. "If you recall, the lights stayed on a long while after my own time in the mask."_

_Anakin furrowed his brows. "They did?"_

"_Not that I had much opportunity to sleep during the night what with you sharing my bed."_

_Anakin felt his cheeks heat at that and turned his face into Obi-Wan's chest. "Sorry."_

"_Nothing to apologize for. I will a willing participant," Obi-Wan chuckled, stroking his fingers through Anakin's rumpled hair. "Now sleep. We'll keep the lights on as long as you need them."_

Growling around the gag, Anakin was twisting and shaking, desperate to get free. He didn't remember much of what had happened the last time he'd been in the mask except that it had been dark. He knew that it wasn't the mask that stole his vision. That was another type of sensory deprivation.

"_Such a pretty boy. It's a wonder your master ever let you out of his sight."_

Thin rivulets of blood slithered along his flesh where the straps holding him immobile had torn skin as a result of his struggles.

"_I wonder if he would have given himself up and traded positions with you. Shame that we'll never know."_

His skin burned where the straps had rubbed him raw. His right arm felt like dead weight. As though all of the circuits had been fried. Anakin could only hope that wasn't the case.

"_It's a shame that he died so quickly. I would have enjoyed playing with him."_

The straps were getting tighter. Cutting off circulation on his still-flesh limbs. Across his chest. Over his throat. Too tight. It was going to crush him. Split him apart into separate bits. Too late for Obi-Wan to save him.

Not that he could.

Obi-Wan was dead.

She'd killed him this time. Finished what she'd started before.

"_He died screaming for you, did you know that?"_

He wanted to rip her to pieces for taking Obi-Wan from him again. Three times now she had killed Obi-Wan. And each time there was nothing he could do to avenge his fallen lover.

"_Anakin!"_

With what little movement he could muster, he slammed his head against the table. Again and again. She had no right to make him hear Obi-Wan's voice. She had no right to even speak of him. Obi-Wan was his.

"_Anakin, stop."_

Anakin stopped struggling. Not because Ventress had told him to. Because Obi-Wan had.

Whimpering, Anakin turned his head towards the faint sounds he could hear to his right. He strained to see through the darkness, desperate for it to really be Obi-Wan nearby in the darkness. The gentle fingers he felt brush lightly over his throat before moving onto the clasps that held the mask in place caused a sob to well up in his throat.

It was Obi-Wan.

"Hush now," Obi-Wan murmured as Anakin became aware of the darkness beginning to shift to grey.

* * *

Obi-Wan had never had so hard a time remaining calm as he did when he slipped down from the ventilation shaft into the room where Anakin was being held. He could see nothing physically wrong with his beloved, but even with their bond muted as it was he could sense how ravaged his mind was. The younger man was barely holding it together.

Keeping his senses directed at least partially outwards, Obi-Wan rushed across the room to the table where Anakin was strapped down. There was none of Anakin's skin available to touch so Obi-Wan reached for the clasps of the mask. The sooner Anakin was freed of it, the better.

"Hush now," Obi-Wan murmured when Anakin began to whimper softly.

Though he made sure to keep part of his attention on their surroundings, the bulk of it was on Anakin. Anakin was strapped down and unable to move, but at the same time he was positively quivering as he strained against the straps that held him immobile.

Which was why, as soon as he was able, Obi-Wan slipped his fingers beneath the mask, fingertips sliding over Anakin's stubbled jaw. The reason why Anakin was so silent was revealed when Obi-Wan removed the dark mask. In the same instant that Obi-Wan was assaulted by the full force of Anakin's desperation and visually by the sight of the gag that kept Anakin's jaw locked shut. It was his eyes, though, that gutted Obi-Wan the most. The blue eyes were wet, shimmering with tears that were sliding down into his hair.

"You certainly know how to keep things interesting," Obi-Wan said quietly as he worked the various clasps and buckles that kept the gag in place. "But at least this helps to even the tally. Moreso since Cato Neimoida still doesn't count."

Anakin let out a half-drowned chuckled, his eyes squeezed shut tight. Leaning forward, Obi-Wan touched his forehead to Anakin's, reveling in the renewed strength of their bond.

"Obi-Wan," Anakin moaned, his breath hot against the other man's cheek. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it. I swear I didn't mean it."

Obi-Wan had no idea what Anakin was talking about, but at that moment it didn't matter. He pressed his lips to the corner of Anakin's slips, a brief contact to shore them both up.

"Sit tight, love," Obi-Wan murmured against the frantic man's lips. "I'll have you out of here soon."

Even with that assurance, Anakin still cried out when he moved out of the younger man's line of sight. It gutted him to leave Anakin, but it couldn't be helped. He had to get Anakin out of the building before Sidious caught wind of what was going on. They were only two men—quite possibly the only two Jedi left in the galaxy –there would be no one to back them up. So, to keep Anakin from alerting Sidious, Obi-Wan maintained a constant hum along their bond, doing what he could to keep Anakin calm. Even so, Anakin was a whimpering mess, mumbling things that Obi-Wan couldn't quite understand.

Spurred by Anakin's frantic mumbling, Obi-Wan couldn't move fast enough to find whatever switch or button would release the restraints. Less than a minute later, Obi-Wan had hotwired the table's electronics and the straps all simultaneously retracted into the table. And, in almost the instant, Anakin rolled off the table, landing in a heap on the unyielding floor.

Cursing under his breath, Obi-Wan rushed across the short distance between them and dropped to his knees beside Anakin. By that time Anakin was struggling onto his hands and knees and Obi-Wan drew him against his chest. Anakin fought him at first, struggling against him, but he was able to calm Anakin before he did either of them any damage. And hopefully before he alerted Sidious to what was going on.

"That's it, Anakin, calm down. You need to relax. We can't have you letting Sidious know what's going on," Obi-Wan murmured against Anakin's temple, holding the taller man firmly against his chest. "I've got you, Anakin."

Under normal circumstances, Obi-Wan would have worried over how still Anakin was lying; even when injured the younger man had too much energy to remain still. The only reason that Obi-Wan wasn't overly concerned was because of how tightly Anakin was gripping his forearms. Anakin was alert which was most important.

Unfortunately, Obi-Wan couldn't allow Anakin the time to indulge his senses. They needed to be moving as quickly as possible because at the moment they were incredibly vulnerable. Enemies of the new Galactic Empire lying about in plain sight.

"We need to move, Anakin, now." Obi-Wan said quietly in his ear. "It's not safe for us to be here."

"He'll find me again. He always does," Anakin mumbled somewhat brokenly.

Obi-Wan pulled away, turning Anakin to face him. "You cannot fall apart on me now, Anakin. We don't have the time for this. We need to get out of here and find somewhere safe to hide. There is no one we can trust."

"Padmé—"

"Is exactly where he would expect to find us," Obi-Wan interrupted, rising slowly to his feet and bringing Anakin up with him. When Anakin wavered, Obi-Wan steadied him with a hand to his hip. With his other hand Obi-Wan cupped his cheek.

Keeping his hand on Anakin's cheek, Obi-Wan reached to his belt and unhooked the younger man's lightsaber. He didn't break eye contact with the younger man as he handed him his lightsaber. Anakin fumbled momentarily, but in the end held it in a firm grip. Obi-Wan waited until Anakin's stance was as sure as his grip on his lightsaber before pressing a final kiss to his lover's hips and taking a step back.

"We need to leave now, Anakin," Obi-Wan insisted, taking a step towards the ventilation shaft that had been his way into the room.

Anakin latched onto Obi-Wan's arm, stopping his progress. "No. I'm not going to run away. Sidious will pay for everything he's done. To you and to me…. I need to try and fix what I did."

Obi-Wan could only shake his head in dismay. "This is a fool's errand you're talking about, Anakin. We need to retreat until we can determine just how many Jedi are left in the galaxy."

"And give him more time to cement his power?"

As much as he didn't want to admit to it, Obi-Wan knew that Anakin was right. It would be an act of utter madness to allow Sidious to remain in power for any length of time. He just wasn't sure if Anakin was ready to face the Dark Lord. Sidious had a way of getting under Anakin's skin and making him do things that he wouldn't normally do. Anakin was a good man by nature, everything that had happened recently proof of that. Anakin had thought that he could keep the ones he loved safe by becoming Sidious' pawn. It was utterly foolhardy, but at the same time such a desperate act that Obi-Wan couldn't find it in him to hold it against the younger man.

He could, however, do something to ensure that their current situation didn't become any grimmer.

"This is absolute madness, Anakin," Obi-Wan sighed, scrubbing a hand over his face wearily.

"If you thought there was even a chance I'd suggest this you wouldn't have given me back my lightsaber," Anakin pointed out, holding the weapon up for him to see.

Obi-Wan pursed his lips, not wanting to admit to the truth of what Anakin had said. The reason their partnership had always worked so well was because they each played off one another weaknesses. Where Obi-Wan would find reasons to hold back when action was needed, Anakin would rush in. And, loathe as he was to admit it, right then the necessary course was one of action. The longer Sidious remained in power, the more difficult it would be to overthrow him.

Obi-Wan just wished he could erase the sense of dread that was seeping its way into him.

* * *

His steps wavered every so often, but Anakin refused to slow down. He couldn't show even the slightest hint of weakness otherwise Obi-Wan would insist that they stop their current plan of action. Obi-Wan was entirely too cautious where he was concerned and while that had saved his life on occasion, in this case Anakin didn't care what happened to him. He was a large part of the reason the galaxy was in such dire straights and needed to set things right. Even if Obi-Wan didn't understand it, it was something Anakin needed to do.

It had been very tempting for Anakin to knock Obi-Wan out when they were in the detention cell and face Sidious alone. Anakin didn't expect to leave that confrontation alive and he wanted to keep his lover safe at all costs. Obi-Wan had already risked so much for him and he didn't want to be the reason Obi-Wan died. Better that Obi-Wan be angry with him. At least then he would still be alive.

Anakin stumbled briefly as Sidious' presence began to ooze into his mind. He'd known that it wouldn't take the Sith Lord long to discover that he was no longer in the mask. He had hoped that they would be a bit closer to Sidious' office before it happened, though.

"He knows, doesn't he," Obi-Wan sighed, catching Anakin around the waist to support him in order to keep up their pace.

Anakin shook his head resolutely. "Doesn't matter. We're stronger than him."

"This situation is far too dire for you to be so cocky," Obi-Wan chastised him, shaking his head briefly. "Don't underestimate Sidious. I can't afford you rushing in on your own."

Anakin nodded his head, taking the reminder for what it was. Tempted as he would be to repeat what occurred on Geonosis, he wouldn't put Obi-Wan at risk in such a way. Unlike Dooku, Sidious wouldn't be content with merely disarming Obi-Wan. Dooku saw potential in Obi-Wan. Sidious wanted to destroy Obi-Wan.

Anakin refused to let Sidious win.

* * *

For the life of him, Obi-Wan couldn't figure out how he always allowed Anakin to talk him into such rash decisions. Every tactical instinct in him screamed to get them as far away from Coruscant and Sidious as possible. Yet there they were, rushing headlong into what would likely be their deaths. It had been many years since Obi-Wan had given up the blissful naiveté that good would always conquer evil. Not since he'd watched his Master cut down by the vile monster Darth Maul when they were on Naboo so long ago. Before that, Obi-Wan had believed that Qui-Gon was invincible and that right would always prevail. Too much had happened in the intervening years for him to believe that any longer.

All that he could do now was hope that Padmé and the child survived.

Alarm bells went off in Obi-Wan's mind when they reached Sidious' ornate offices in the Senate Rotunda only to find the doors wide open and the Red Guard absent. Sidious was inside, though. Obi-Wan's skin crawled with the unnatural feel of the Sith Lord's Force signature.

A quick glance in Anakin's direction as they slowed their approach showed Obi-Wan just how determined the younger man was.

"Do not tarry, Jedi. You will not gain any advantage by delaying."

Both men stiffened as Sidious' voice drifted out into the corridor where they stood.

"You are mere insects that I have waited far too long to squash."

Side by side, Obi-Wan and Anakin shared eye contact for one endless second before igniting their lightsabers.

"You should have run while you had the chance."

"_Master Windu's head would implode if he had even the slightest notion of this," Obi-Wan sighed, relaxing against the comfortable pillows provided by their hosts. The entire bed was more luxurious than any Obi-Wan could ever recall lying on. It was a welcome change from the uncomfortable cot-bed he'd been sleeping on for months._

_Anakin's head bounced lightly against Obi-Wan's chest as he laughed quietly. The younger man was sprawled overtop of him in a tangle of sweaty limbs and showed no inclination to ever move. Turning his head slightly, Anakin brushed his lips against Obi-Wan's chin, just above his heart._

"_Master Windu is just jealous."_

"_And what does Master Windu have to be jealous of?"_

_Snorting, Anakin squeezed Obi-Wan's arm briefly. "Don't go fishing for compliments. It's very unbecoming, Master."_

"_Cheeky."_

"_Pouting is also very unbecoming of a Jedi Master."_

"_I do not pout."_

"_Oh, please. Your beard doesn't hide as much as you'd like to think it does."_

"_I do not hide behind my beard, either."_

"_Then why don't you shave it off?"_

"_Because I happen to like it. You certainly don't complain when—"_

"_That doesn't count."_

"_And pray tell why not?"_

"_Because it doesn't."_

"_Very convincing argument, Anakin. Perhaps we should let you be the one to continue negotiations in the morning. Hey!"_

_Anakin laved the nipple he'd just bit, smiling beatifically at his lover. Obi-Wan could do nothing but shake his head and roll them over so that Anakin was lying on his back and at his mercy._


	20. Part XX

Obi-Wan forced himself to not react as Anakin was thrown across the room by Sidious. He was struggling as it was and couldn't afford to give Sidious any kind of advantage. Old and feeble looking as he was, the Sith Lord was powerful. Obi-Wan would wager that he was more powerful than Master Yoda. His speed and agility had honestly caught Obi-Wan off guard as he'd never thought of Sidious as anything but an old, pompous politician.

There was no time for contemplation, though, because it took all of his attention and focus to keep Sidious' red lightsaber from hitting its mark. Obi-Wan used every skill that he had ever learned. Every form, every maneuver and every trick that he had ever come across; all to keep himself and Anakin alive.

As he jumped back to avoid a slice to his mid-section, Obi-wan caught sight of Anakin once again joining the battle. He knew for certain that Anakin was participating when Sidious' attention became divided. Their chances still were not as great as Obi-Wan would like, but they were better than they had been a moment ago.

Or so he thought until his left arm turned to white hot fire. Obi-Wan couldn't be certain if he screamed or not, but he dropped to his knees as the shock of pain laced through him. His lightsaber tumbled from his fingers. In that moment Obi-Wan was fairly certain the he was going to die. And that that time his death would be real. Obi-Wan had no idea why Sidious hadn't killed him the last time, but knew that the Sith Lord wouldn't make the same error in judgment a second time. Sidious was nothing if not practical and Obi-Wan knew that his death would serve the galaxy's new Emperor well.

The blow never found its mark. It was stopped by a blue lightsaber.

Left arm held to his chest, Obi-Wan rolled out of the way. As he twisted up onto his knees he called his lightsaber back to himself. Obi-Wan could feel himself trembling from the pain of his injury, but forced himself to ignore it. He couldn't afford to feel pain just then. So, gritting his teeth, Obi-Wan staggered to his feet and ignited his lightsaber. He staggered at first, but in the end he kept to his feet. Once Obi-Wan was certain that he could keep to his feet he shuffled forward, engaging Sidious just as Anakin began to fail. Every movement jarred his left arm and sent coils of pain shooting through his body, but Obi-Wan pushed it aside, focusing instead on keeping himself an Anakin alive.

"You are weak, Kenobi," Sidious hissed as they stepped in close, their blades locked together. "Hardly worthy of my apprentice's devotion. I will ensure that he sees the error of his ways once you are dead."

Obi-Wan chose not to respond, refusing to be baited by the Sith. Anakin, however, was an entirely different matter. Obi-Wan was aware of a sudden flare of outrage and then Anakin was flying towards Sidious. The younger man was moving so quickly that Obi-Wan could barely track his movements.

Impressive as it looked, though, there was very little substance to Anakin's technique. What there was was a great deal of anger fueling Anakin's attack. Something that not only Obi-Wan noticed.

"That's it, Anakin. Use your hatred," Sidious encouraged, his voice as seductive as ever even though he was in the middle of a battle. "Imagine how easy it would be to give into it. Give into your hatred and join me. Only then will you have the power to keep those you love safe."

Anakin paused for a split second, but it was all the time that Sidious needed. He released a bolt of blue energy directly at Anakin's chest, sending the younger man clear across the room and into an ornate piece of sculpture.

Alone to face Sidious' wrath, Obi-Wan held his lightsaber up before him, the blue blade pointed towards the Sith Lord.

"You do not honestly believe that you can defeat me, do you, Kenobi?" Sidious sneered, disengaging his own blade with an unconcerned shrug of his shoulders. "You cannot even keep all of your limbs intact."

"If I recall correctly," Obi-Wan mused, feigning nonchalance even as his body was vibrating with intense pain, "the only reason you continue to live is because of Anakin. You are not as all powerful as you would try to convince yourself."

Obi-Wan jerked his lightsaber to the left as a bolt of blue lightning came towards him. He deflected it easily, shattering what he'd been told was the newly replaced transperisteel window that stretched the length of Sidious' office. Holding off so much power with only one arm was difficult and Obi-Wan began to stagger under the weight of it. His right arm shook and his shoulder felt as thought it was being wrenched from the socket.

"Give in, Kenobi, and I promise that this time I will make your passing easy," Sidious assured him, the smile twisting his features doing nothing to sway Obi-Wan.

Steeling himself against the Sith's continued assault, Obi-Wan shook his head. "For some reason I don't find that entirely reassuring."

Bold words or not, Obi-Wan knew that he couldn't last much longer. His right arm was shaking from more than just the strain of holding his lightsaber against that unnatural energy.

* * *

Shaking his head to clear it, Anakin slowly pushed himself into a seated position. His ears were ringing from the impact his head had made with one of the countless structures that filled Sidious' office. He swayed momentarily as he climbed to his feet, but managed to keep from stumbling as he searched out Obi-Wan and Sidious amidst the ruined interior. It was a relatively quick search as they were still by the shattered window.

Sprinting forward, Anakin rushed to his lover's aid as he sensed him beginning to falter. It was an almost impossible amount of energy that Obi-Wan was fending off and the instant that Obi-Wan faltered he would share Master Windu's fate. Anakin flipped himself over Sidious' desk, igniting his lightsaber as he spun and dropped down so that his blade crossed with Obi-Wan's, taking some of the burden. Standing shoulder to shoulder they slowly advanced on the Sith Lord.

It wasn't enough, though. Even combined their abilities weren't enough to defeat Sidious. At least not through the Force.

_I love you, Obi-Wan._

Anakin registered Obi-Wan's surprise, but he was already rushing forward. Using the Force to give him extra speed, Anakin skirted around the crackling blue energy and collided bodily with Sidious. And sent them both tumbling through the window.

"ANAKIN!"

* * *

Obi-Wan stood rooted to the spot, unable to process what he had just seen. The paralysis lasted only a moment before he was at the window edge, staring down towards the bowels of Coruscant.

"ANAKIN!"

The scream was ripped from his throat as he struggled to comprehend what he had just witnessed. He was blown backwards almost immediately by a pulsating wave of dark energy. His hip impacted sharply with the edge of Sidious' desk and when he went to put his left hand out to catch himself he almost collapsed from the ensuing agony. Stumbling a few steps, Obi-Wan dropped onto an ottoman, simply unable to keep to his feet any longer.

_Anakin... Anakin, please..._

There was only silence, not that Obi-Wan had truly expected a response. Anakin had just thrown himself through a window. Right hand clutching at the upper part of his left arm, Obi-Wan heaved himself from the ottoman and staggered towards the window. Looking down all he could see were clouds and the odd speeder whizzing by without any clue as to what had happened.

Obi-Wan didn't even realize that he was trembling until he leaned against the side of the window frame. The heat of the battle had left him and he was entering a kind of shocked state. Nothing seemed entirely real to him. Not the loss of nearly half of his left arm nor Anakin plunging out of the window with Sidious. The speed at which it had happened made it feel almost dreamlike. A nightmare. And if it was just a nightmare than nothing fatal would happen if he shared Anakin's plummet. It was entirely too tempting. A few more steps and he could share Anakin's oblivion. Obi-Wan was utterly exhausted and in that moment it seemed to be a logical option. The only thing stopping him was the knowledge that Padmé was still out there and that she was carrying Anakin's child. As tired as he was, he had to make sure that they were kept safe.

"General Kenobi!"

Startled at the sound of his name, Obi-Wan whirled around so quickly that he stumbled slightly. Even standing still he continued to sway.

"Cody?"

"General, I have Skywalker down in the hanger bay."

Obi-Wan shook his head slightly, not too sure what he was hearing. "Anakin? Anakin fell. Took Sidious with him. That ridiculous prophecy…. He did what he was supposed to do. The Sith are destroyed."

The hand on his arm surprised him. He hadn't realized that Cody was so close.

"He didn't fall all the way."

The words brought a sudden burst of hysterical laughter bubbling up from the pit of his stomach. He did what he could to swallow it, but a few chuckles escaped just the same.

"Much rest Master Kenobi requires."

The laughter turned into harsh sobs then, the force of them brining Obi-Wan to his knees. As much as Yoda's presence had always calmed him in the past, it wasn't his presence that Obi-Wan craved. He needed Anakin. His brash, intelligent, brave, loyal and utterly frustrating partner. His passionate, inexhaustible, endearing lover. He wanted Anakin and no empty platitudes about him becoming one with the Force would suffice. Words could not replace flesh and blood.

"Safe young Skywalker is," Yoda murmured as he shuffled towards Obi-Wan. "To healers we will take you both. In need of rest both your minds and bodies are."

_Anakin, please..._

_

* * *

Why is it that it's always me who has to be the bait?" Obi-Wan groaned as he slumped down onto his bunk. "You are younger, faster, much more powerful in the Force than I am... You could use that prowess to get yourself out of the situation you always insist on placing me in."_

"_Because you're smarter than me and can figure out how to get out of the situation better than I would be able to."_

_Obi-Wan glowered at Anakin as he stripped out of his tunic without any signs of discomfort. He knew that it would be much more difficult for him to get out of his own shirt. "Smarter doesn't make me younger, faster or quicker. Any day now I can envision throwing my back out when I'm feinting to avoid a blaster bolt."_

"_You're exaggerating," Anakin chuckled, crossing the small space to help Obi-Wan remove his tunic. "Doesn't matter anyway, because there's no one else I want to have at my side."_

"_That's because no one else is foolish enough to go along with your plans," Obi-Wan groaned as Anakin ghosted his fingers over his stomach._

* * *

Every part of his body ached. He didn't even want to open his eyes because his eyeballs hurt. Passing out again would have been a blessing. If he was lucky he'd sleep until the pain was gone.

"Awake at last Master Kenobi is."

Obi-Wan groaned internally at the sound of Yoda's voice. He didn't have the energy to deal with the ancient master's emotionless platitudes. Not when Anakin was dead.

"Obi-Wan!"

His lingering aches instantly forgotten, Obi-Wan's eyes flew open as he struggled into a more upright position. He wasn't so far gone that he didn't recognize Anakin's voice. It took a moment for his eyes to focus, but when they did Anakin was the first thing that he saw. He looked a little rough around the edges, but Obi-Wan didn't care. Anakin was alive.

_Anakin...?_

Anakin didn't respond verbally, but Obi-Wan felt warmth infuse him from the inside out. His eyes weren't playing tricks on him. Anakin as alive. However it happened, Obi-Wan didn't care. The details could be worked out later.

"Anakin," Obi-Wan sighed, allowing his battered body to rest. He sunk down into the infirmary bed that was woefully too far away from Anakin's own bed.

As he began to blink his eyes shut, the lids simply too heavy to keep lifted any longer, he was relieved to see Anakin tumbling out of his bed and shuffling the short distance that separated them.

It wasn't until he lifted his left arm to guide Anakin down alongside him on the narrow bed that Obi-Wan realized just how ungainly the limb was. Obi-Wan started at his new durasteel appendage, flexing his fingers in wonderment. He hadn't fully processed the severity of the injury before, his mind focused elsewhere and adrenaline keeping him from feeling the worst of the pain. During his inspection of the limb he could feel Anakin's uneasiness grown and reached towards his lover's prosthetic with his own.

"Don't we make a rather dashing pair of bookends," Obi-Wan mused as he tugged Anakin down onto the bed. He wound himself around Anakin, desperate to feel the other man's body against his own. It was only a short while ago that he'd believed Anakin dead, something he didn't want to repeat for a very long time.

"Spotted young Anakin we did when coming I was to confront Sidious," Yoda revealed in response to Obi-Wan's as of yet unasked question. "Owe his life he does to Senator Organa's piloting skills. Onto a spire Sidious fell, ending the reign of the Sith. Fulfilled his destiny the Chosen One has."

Obi-Wan nodded his head briefly. None of it really mattered at the moment. Obi-Wan had never really believed in the prophecy anyway.

* * *

For the past two weeks he and Obi-Wan had been recuperating at Padmé's peaceful villa in Naboo's lake district. They were rarely further than an arm's length away from the other man, both of them still hyper aware of how close they had come to a permanent separation. In that time, both of them purposefully ignorant of the events happening in the galaxy at large, they had had ample time to reassure one another of their continued existence. They wouldn't be able to hide away forever, but for the moment they felt they deserved the rest.

"Why didn't you talk me out of this?" Obi-Wan grumbled as he shifted about uncomfortably.

"Why did I have to talk you out of it? I thought you were renowned for your unflappable restraint?" Anakin countered, doing some shifting of his own.

"You're from a desert planet."

"And you have fifteen extra years of life experience."

Obi-Wan groaned against Anakin's damp shoulder before heaving himself up into a seated position. From the expression on his face he could tell that the fine white sand that surrounded the lake had found somewhere else to adhere to Obi-Wan's damp body.

"Just be content that you weren't the one on the bottom," Anakin chuckled as he climbed to his feet. He held his right hand down to Obi-Wan, still receiving a bit of a thrill at the fact that it was a second synthleather hand that gripped him back. "Come on, the lake will wash away the worst of it."

He had never wanted Obi-Wan to suffer through the loss of a limb, but he couldn't deny that he enjoyed the fact that they'd gone through such similar things. It was something else that bound them together. He couldn't have children with Obi-Wan like he had with Padmé. They only had their lives and experiences to bind them together. And those experiences had united them much more strongly than even the birth of Luke and Leia had him and Padmé. Because while he would have brought the galaxy to its knees to keep Padmé safe, it was Obi-Wan that he'd thrown himself to his death for.

It was chance alone that had kept him alive.

As the water slipped up around their waists, Anakin draped his arms over Obi-Wan's shoulders. He drew his lover against his body, smiling into the curve of Obi-Wan's neck when he felt a pair of arms loop around his middle.

Eventually they'd have to leave Naboo and return to Coruscant. They were two of the few Jedi Masters left alive and had to help rebuild the Order; help it to fit into the recovering Republic better than it had before. Without the threat of the Sith it would be easier. Palpatine was no longer around to play his mind games and throw everything into chaos.

Anakin was confident that everything would sort itself out in the end.


End file.
